Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium
by The Polaris Project
Summary: Their love was as eternal as the stars shining in the night, yet even stars fade in the white of the vivid sky. Hunted by a devil, one must survive and find a reason to fight, while the other is lost and needs a guiding light. The fantasy epic that will revolutionize the meaning of love, friendship, trust, and harmony.
1. Prologue

**Edited**: Jokulhaup

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**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

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**Prologue**

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When the three Ancients, Macht the First, Schönheit the Second, and Weisheit the Third, happened upon the formless blue void that would soon be shaped into the world of Mid-Childa, they deliberated over their first course of action. Many suggestions were brought up, but their deliberations were conflicted on every matter except what to name the planet. Mid-Childa was the first name the three siblings came up with and no other was considered; such was its authority.

The Ancients all differed in their opinions of the concept of "perfection," and competed relentlessly with one another to see who was right. Macht craved a world filled with mighty creatures; Schönheit sought a world subsumed in beauty of every form, while Weisheit dreamt of a peaceful world.

The three deities were in quarrel constantly over the destiny of their fledgling world. Never before had they encountered such a magnificently blank slate; they were all eager to breathe life and give color to the canvas, but with no clear direction in mind they feared their indecisive squabbling would ruin Mid-Childa's potential beauty. Were it any other planet, the siblings would take turns in shaping the blank worlds they encountered; had they gone with this pattern, Schönheit would have been the one to make the decision regarding Mid-Childa's fate. However, the other two grew envious of their sister's fortune and demanded that they also take part in the shaping of the world. Begrudgingly, Schönheit had no choice but to agree.

"My patience grows thin with each passing day!" Macht roared in anger as he paced before his siblings, "What will we do, every moment we spend bickering is a moment where another world lies barren. We need to take action!"

"We cannot come to a decision when your only contributions have been complaints about why we haven't made any progress yet, _dear brother_, so please calm down and stop with the incessant pacing!" Schönheit exclaimed in frustration. She had had just about enough of her brother's complaining, and wanted nothing more than to have it stop. "Your whining gives me a headache matched only in size by your ego."

"Be calm, my siblings, for I have an idea!" Weisheit, the youngest of the three siblings, proclaimed. He had watched his siblings argue for quite some time and studied the ebb and flow of their conversation. These disagreements formed a chaotic sort of harmony, and it was exactly what Mid-Childa needed to be born. "The solution is simple: if we cannot agree on whose plans will take precedence, why not simply mesh them equally?"

"Into one…?" Macht's visage turned thoughtful as Weisheit's words sank in. "So all of us shall have an equal part in this planet's creation?"

"Yes," the Third beamed. "You and Schönheit both have such wonderful ideas, how could we not implement them?"

"But how will we combine them?" Schönheit asked while feeling a little conflicted; both of her brothers had brought up ideas that conflicted with her own. "I do not want a world with hideous monstrosities rampaging about, leaving unsightly atrocities in their wake! I refuse to have a hand in the creation of yet another world like that, least of all this one."

Weisheit rubbed his chin and recalled all the suggestions he and his siblings made. The one that stood out the most was giving breathing life into this barren gem. Walking up to Mid-Childa, the Ancient held the world near his face examining it carefully. He rotated it around, idly looking for imperfections as he surveyed the world, and found none. Taking in a deep breath, Weisheit gently blew on Mid-Childa's surface; the force he exercised induced a rotation of the world on its axis.

"There, now this beautiful world has gentle, rolling breezes to continuously push it forward."

Seeing what the Third had done, the First wanted to contribute as well. "This world, look how beautiful it is! Look at how wonderful it is, never before have I seen such perfection." Tears began to trickle down the eldest deity's cheeks and fell onto Mid-Childa, instantly painting its plain white surface a sparkling blue.

"Such a dazzling color!"

"I never expected my dear, brutish brother could create something so breathtakingly thoughtful," the Third snickered causing Macht to blush.

"S-Sheesh you make it sound like I'm some unfeeling giant!"

Schönheit chuckled and patted her brother's shoulder, "We all know you're a big softie at heart, dear Macht."

"I thank you for that, sister."

Nodding his head in silent agreement, Weisheit demanded, "Alright, back to work, back to work!"

"Something is missing here…" Schönheit said, immediately getting back to the subject at hand, "Even with its natural splendor, it could still be much brighter." Accepting Mid-Childa from Macht's outstretched hands, the Second inspected the planet. "Ah, I see. To make this beautiful world shine all the more, I shall gift it one of my eyes!" Effortlessly, Schönheit removed her left eye and placed it above Mid-Childa. "There, now not only will it have a bright, brilliant sun to keep it warm, but I can also watch it from wherever I may be."

"Truly, that is a wonderful idea!"

"I shall give it one of my eyes as well," offered the Third.

"And here is one of my own," said the First.

"Hmm, your eyes aren't as bright as mine… its brilliance would overshadow your own." Schönheit stated rather sadly.

Pondering for a moment, Weisheit came up with another suggestion, "You cannot watch over Mid-Childa when you need to blink, correct?"

"Hmm… I suppose not."

"Why not let us watch it when you blink, and you may watch it when we blink!"

"Brilliant idea, dearest sibling!" Macht declared with pride. "Since our eyes are not as bright as Schönheit, her eye shall be the 'sun' that illuminates the day and ours shall be the 'moons' that lull our beautiful world to sleep at night!"

"Hmm, so now what should we do?"

"Yes, what now?"

The Third was at a loss, no further ideas came to mind no matter how hard he pondered. He looked over Mid-Childa and saw nothing he would like to change, remove or add. Turning to his older brother, Weisheit looked to him for answers only to find the same perplexed expression held on his face. Schönheit on the other hand was busy prodding the young planet in child-like glee.

Macht rubbed his chin and mumbled quietly to himself. "What does this planet lack that others do not?"

Hearing their brother's words, the two ancients smacked themselves in frustration; the answer had been so simple.

"Land!" they called out in unison, startling Macht out of his thoughts. "Off all the things to forget, we forgot land!"

Eyes widening in realization, the First burst out in unrestrained laughter, "How did we manage to miss that!? I knew something was off."

"But what to form it with?" asked the Second eagerly, her face simply glowing in delight.

Placing a hand on his heart, Macht smiled and said, "With our very hearts, my dear siblings. We shall give Mid-Childa form with our hearts!"

Without hesitation all three Ancients placed their hearts upon Mid-Childa, but they were still dissatisfied with it. Schönheit picked up the hearts and placed them together, forming one large land mass. She explained to the First and the Third that since they were always together, their hearts should be the same. Agreeing unanimously, the Ancients began giving Mid-Childa some finer details.

Such perfect blue needed needs to be appreciated, so the First gave to the Mid-Childan oceans a plethora of fish and aquatic mammals to inhabit it. "Praise the waters you live in my children," Macht said with a sleepy yawn. "But you cannot see my sister's eye or feel my brother's breath from within the depths, so I shall create even more! Animals… so many animals you could not count their number! They shall all praise my waters, bask under the second's beautiful eye, and enjoy the third's gentle wind."

"Mid-Childa is beautiful, but needs it more colors!" Schönheit placed her hands upon Mid-Childa's grand land mass and brought forth lush trees, beautiful, fragrant flowers and so much more. The land animals rejoiced when they saw the colours spring up, but the creatures of the sea grew jealous and pleaded for their own colours deep in the ocean floor. "I shall share with you my dear sibling." The Second waved a hand above Mid-Childa causing water plants to grow instantaneously.

After watching Macht and Schönheit imbue Mid-Childa with their own unique flair, the Third wondered what was left to offer. Unlike the First, he was not very concerned about others' opinions. And unlike the Second who wanted everything to be beautiful, the Third liked things plain and simple. So what could he do to give Mid-Childa something as unique and impactful as the first and second had?

"I shall make a tree," Weisheit said, "In the center of the land I shall make a tree so grand you'll never want to turn your eyes away. It shall be beautiful and alluring—the tree of life, Yggdrasil!"

The Third touched his head with a finger, and then reached for the center of Mid-Childa; immediately, a tree began to sprout where the third had marked. It continued to grow, surprising all three siblings, and when it stopped, they were all equally mesmerized.

"Well I don't know about you two, but I'm getting awfully tired!" The First bellowed with a roaring laugh. The other two Ancients nodded their heads in agreement. "Why don't we take a break?"

"But there is still so much left to do!" Schönheit exclaimed.

Once again the Third came up with a brilliant plan. "Macht, lend me a bit of your courage and will." Doing as requested, the First instead offered everything up to Weisheit, which surprised the youngest Ancient.

"I didn't need it all, but I'll accept it nevertheless!"

Grinning widely, Macht proclaimed, "Anything worth doing is worth giving your all!"

"Now with these bold feelings in hand," Weisheit smiled at his brother's gusto and decided to follow suit, "I shall give my wisdom and ingenuity as well."

Schönheit feeling a little left out said, "And why don't I give my love and kindness?"

"Much obliged, sister."

Carefully, the Third began to mold them together. The first thing Weisheit finished was a smiling maiden; she was molded after the Second's likeness. "This is the embodiment of your love and kindness, sister. This young, smiling maiden shall watch over all living things and help them grow. She will unite those who are scattered and be the mother of all."

"What about me, Weisheit?" Mach asked eagerly. "What will you fashion in my likeness? Please tell me it will be as bold and dashing like me."

Quickly getting back to work, the Third produced a mighty golden dragon. "Just like you, she is brave, strong and loyal. This gallant one shall govern over all conflict and survey the unknown vigilantly. She will lead the world in the path of good and deter those who succumb to evil; this dragon shall be the keeper of peace—a symbol of righteousness! Now call her what you wish, but you will automatically see the greatness this dragon possesses."

"Now to form my own," Within the Third's hands laid another woman much like the Second's. "This one shall control the weather on Mid-Childa. And all the elements this wonderful world has shall bow down to her will. I call her the Grinning Trickster, her smile and playful games shall riddle the world with joy and excitement for many eons. She shall be the reason for the vivid sky."

"Splendid work, Weisheit!" said the First; he was beaming with pride as he watched Weisheit place the three guardians under the tree of life.

"Now while we go rest, they shall take care of things here on Mid-Childa; all of our ideas, hopes, and dreams have been placed unto them," explained the Third sleepily. "And if anything should go wrong, they will be the ones to set things straight once more."

Inspecting their handiwork one last time, the Ancients gave their approval and began to drift away from Mid-Childa, never to return except under the direst of circumstances.


	2. Arc 1: 1

**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

**Arc 1: The Heart of Courage: The Dragon's Legacy  
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The Beginning of Time

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"Wisdom, I really don't think you should be playing pranks on Courage like this," Love said with a whimper; she knew the eventual outcome of her friend's trickery and did not like it one bit. She followed the other girl who skipped towards the slumbering beast closely and grabbed on her sleeve imploringly. "Mou, listen to me just this once please! Courage has been extremely grumpy as of late, I really think this is a bad idea."

Grinning broadly, Wisdom ignored her companion and tugged her sleeve free. She couldn't let this perfect moment pass, the ultimate prank was only a few seconds away and it would go off without a hitch. "Courage doesn't do anything but lounge around the Tree and chase after rabbits and butterflies. She needs to start doing something or I'm going to go nuts!"

"I really, really don't think it's safe for you to disturb her…" Love ruffled her hair in frustration as Wisdom continued to fight her on the subject. "Try and remember the last time you disturbed her!"

"Oh I remember!" Wisdom sneered, "I remember very well…"

"Then why put yourself in even more danger!? You're being foolish here, Wis."

Turning around to face the copper haired beauty, the weather goddess stomped on the ground with both feet screaming, "She nearly burned me to a crisp! I didn't even do anything that bad; her reaction was over the top!"

"You stuck a piece of deer droppings in her nose," Love clarified, "her reaction was well within the justified means."

"I… well… you—whatever!"

"Please just think about this again, I really don't want to sit through another one of you and Courage's arguments.

"Well too bad!" Wisdom chuckled impishly, her grin growing with her excitement. "Courage, feel my wrath!"

The scent of fresh grass tingled the dragon's senses. Her nose began to twitch as the smell got stronger. It wasn't natural for fresh grass to be drifting this closely to her, unless someone had purposely tore them up from the ground and—Wisdom, that damned harlequin!

Clenching her fist, the short haired brunette goddess grinned, "Perfect execution!"

"So wait, let me get this right…" Love sighed for the umpteenth time, "Your ingenious plan was to throw grass at her?"

Wisdom looked at Love with an exasperated expression on her face and nodded her head, "Brilliant, no?"

"No, not brilliant. Absolutely not brilliant. It's positively _unbrilliant_!" came Love's undaunted reply.

"Unbrilliant isn't a word, Love…"

"Well it should be! In fact I'll make it official right now, there done!" Love stamped her foot, scowling at the weather master. "You and I both know how much Courage loves the smell of nature; she'll probably fall into a deeper sleep thanks to you."

"Just wait for it, you'll-"

"AK-CHOOO!"

"… see." Wisdom's wide eyes blinked in astonishment. "Wow, talk about a delayed reaction."

Wiping her nose on her forearm, Courage's crimson eyes narrowed dangerously. She curled her lips and bared her fangs, the pearly white canines shining in the light. "What is the meaning of this rude awakening?" asked Courage through tightly gritted teeth. "Speak up Wisdom; I know Love had nothing to do with this."

"Uh well," Wisdom took a few steps back giving herself and the fearsome young dragon some distance. "Love and I are always doing all the work while you do nothing but sleep."

"Sleep!?" Courage roared indignantly at the accusation.

"Yes, sleep. That's all you do."

"Searching the unknown is my purpose, Joker." Standing up slowly, Courage spread her wings and stretched. "I have flown all around Mid-Childa and found nothing of importance. The creatures Love watches over find me terrifying when I set flight. They run away with their tails tucked between their legs, screaming their little hearts out."

"It might just be your morning breath there, Courage." Love added jokingly, "I can smell it from over here."

"I-I… I'm sorry, Love." Blushing mildly, Courage stumbled back and hid her face from the goddess behind a wing. "And I'll have you know, Wisdom, I do more than just sleep." The dragon added through dangerously narrowed eyes.

"Yeah you chase your tail too," Wisdom snickered completely unfazed by her friend's death glare.

"No," Courage sneered, "I have gone beyond the need for physical movement!"

"So you're just plain lazy now?" Wisdom deadpanned.

Leaping at the trickster, Courage pounced and pinned down the girl, her talons gingerly digging into Wisdom's arms and legs. "Astral projections, I can travel the world from the safety of Yggdrasil. I must not be disturbed during such a process or I risk trapping myself outside my own body."

"Oooh, sounds complicated," Love interjected eagerly.

Nodding her head, Courage released Wisdom from her hold and trotted over to Love; she nuzzled her head against the girl's hip and purred. "You understand what I'm saying right, Love?"

Scratching her cheek, Love replied, "Well not exactly, but it sounds really neat."

"Maybe I'll teach you both sometime, but right now I'm really hungry! Projecting yourself takes a lot of energy." Courage smiled at Love before running off. "I'll bring you guys something back!"

"No fair, Courage is always claws and teeth with me, but with you she's a harmless goldfish with her mouth agape." Wisdom commented, a sly gaze directed towards Love. The long tawny haired girl blushed heavily and waved her hands in front of her in denial.

"Oh really now?"

"Courage isn't always like that with me, and she doesn't act any different with you."

"No, I do!" Courage shouted from afar, her acute hearing picking up on the distant conversation. "That idiotic japer annoys me to hell and back!"

"Be quiet you overgrown gecko!"

Crossing her arms, Love puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "You two need to get along or else I'll be sad!"

"We'll get along, Love! Don't be sad!"

"Fat chance of that one happening, Frogzilla, now go find something productive to do!" yelled Wisdom, her grin never faltering. Courage stuck her tongue out and taunted the other girl with a rude gesture. "Courage, you dunderhead I'll get you for that!" Turning around, the dragon waggled her tail, laughing even harder, and flew off with a wicked chortle. "I swear she's going to be the death of me."

"I can't really blame her for not doing anything," Love quipped. "The best she can do for now is stopping a few animals from fighting, but that really shouldn't require her interference."

"I guess."

"We're all co-dependent here; we need to keep working together."

"But Courage—"

Flicking Wisdom on the head, Love said, "You're supposed to be the smart one here, Wisdom. Courage is just bored. She needs something to beat down and justify."

"That girl is such a monkey—hmm…"

"Are you alright, Wisdom?"

"Love, look around you."

Shooting Wisdom an odd look, Love protested and demanded to be told what had the other girl so excited but Wisdom insisted that she do as told. "Um, I see nothing…"

"But?"

"Trees, flowers, animals, and water."

"Now look forward, what do you see?"

Puffing out her cheeks, Love crossed her arms and glowered at the other girl. "I see you, now will you please tell me what you're getting at."

"Love don't you see?" the girl shook her head. "We _are_ the answer—well except for scaly butt, she's the exception."

"I'm still not following you."

Grabbing hold of Love, Wisdom's smile widened. "We'll create more of us! And then those people can make more of themselves and so on and so forth!"

"And then they can build their own homes and families—a civilization!" Love hugged Wisdom giddily and spun the girl around. "You're a genius, Wisdom!"

"Aw-shucks, ain't nothin' to it there sugar."

"Now the only problem is how…"

The thought of 'how' didn't occur to Wisdom till now. They were the immortals, the Goddesses of Mid-Childa, they could do anything and everything they wanted with a wave of a hand, but they hadn't done anything since they were created. Everything that was around them was there when they awoke; the need to add never crossed their minds.

"This may take some time, but I know we can do it."

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130,000 Years Later

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"Wisdom, I really-really don't think you should be playing pranks on Courage," protested Love with a dull voice. "You should have learned your lesson by now."

Grinning widely, Wisdom ignored her companion. "Courage is so uptight, she needs to loosen up!"

"Courage has always been uptight, Wis, nothing has changed."

Squirming with excitement, Wisdom pranced around the taller girl. "But, but, but, she needs to have fun!"

"She has plenty of fun," tugging her friend away from the slumbering dragon, Love struggled to keep the hyperactive girl in her hands. "I said stop to stop this madness, Wisdom!"

"But Love!"

"You really shouldn't wake her up, Wisdom; she's been cranky for the past few decades…"

Wisdom managed to escape the maiden's grasps and rushed towards the dragon as fast as she could screaming, "Courage, feel my wrath!"

Shaking her head in disappointment, Love took the opportunity to fly away from the dimwitted duo. She knew their routine better than bunny anatomy and predicted the dragon would let out a mighty roar and send the weather goddess flying with the sheer force.

Before Wisdom could throw the grass, Courage's eyes shot open as if on cue. Fury engraved on her face, the mighty dragon bared her fangs and roared. The ground shook from the thunderous roar uprooting several trees causing birds and animals fled in fear of their lives. Wisdom tumbled back a couple meters, her hands gripping on her hat fearful she would lose it. As her momentum slowed down, Wisdom found herself face down in the dirt. Scrambling to get up, the girl found herself unable to stand without violently shaking in her boots. Courage chuckled at her friend's silly antics causing another strong gust of wind. Clinging onto the grass for dear life, her fingers buried deep into the earth, Wisdom stared up at the furious behemoth towering over her.

"N-Now Courage, no need to be a grumplepuss," stammered Wisdom waving her hands wildly before her. The dragon breathed on her blowing her away again. "Aaahhh!"

"Why must you wake me, tiny quipster? Have you yet to learn your lesson?" asked Courage as she stood up on all fours, her full height greater than that of the Tree of Life. "Give me one good reason not to crush you this very instant, bug."

"Because I'm c-cute?"

"What type of answer is that!?" growled a baffled Courage.

Shrugging, Wisdom retorted, "I don't know but you're scarin' me you massive booger!"

"I should crush you no—"

Flying up to the agitated dragon's nose, Love patted Courage's snout. She stayed as close to the dragon as possible despite the fact that Courage's breath could blow her away by accident.

"Calm down, Courage, Wisdom was just trying to play with you." Crimson orbs narrowed tentatively before relaxing into a tender loving gaze. Love always knew how to quell her anger, it was like magic. "There, that's a good girl. Now apologize to Wisdom for scaring her."

"Why should I give that trickster my apologies? She doesn't deserve it, she brought this onto herself."

"You nearly scared the crap outta me you ugly, golden iguana!" Wisdom screamed from the ground, her fist raised in anger.

Pointing a dangerously sharp talon at the girl, the tip barely missing her neck, Courage mumbled, "See this is why I dislike her. Always with the insults, it just isn't fair!"

"Hey, don't talk to me about being fair! You're in serious need of a manicure here sister."

Glaring at the tiny spec on the ground, the dragon retracted her paw and huffed.

"Courage, will you do it for me then?" Love put on her best puppy dog pout, "Pretty please?"

Not wanting to displease the other girl, Courage sucked in her pride and apologized to Wisdom. Sitting back down, Courage nudged the brunette gently. The playful girl smacked the dragon on the nose before hugging her. Watching the two friends make amends, Love wondered why Courage had reacted so violently. The sleeping dragon had always been grumpy after one of Wisdom's rude wake-ups, but it would always end with a laugh shared between the two.

"Hey Courage, sorry about playing pranks on you…" Wisdom said. The girl had flown up to the dragon's head and sat down on her forehead. "I miss the days when you were small enough to chase me without destroying half of Mid."

"Aa, but what can I do?" Courage let out a woe filled sigh, her head hung low in shame. "The animals haven't been coming to the Tree ever since I grew to this monstrous size. I terrify them and yet since I am so large, I cannot fly away without damaging the nature around me. I'm stuck." She added the final two words in a hushed whisper.

Taking a seat beside Wisdom, Love asked, "So is that the reason why you've been grumpy all this time?" Courage grumbled in response and sighed once more. "I was worried you got another tree stuck in your paw." Love ran her fingers through Courage's coarse mane reminiscing of the past. "You used to be the smallest between the three of us and now look at you."

"Your butt's crushed so many trees as is and I'm sure you're still growing."

"Watch your mouth, short stack; might I remind you who you're sitting on?"

"I have to agree with her on this one, Courage," Love added regretfully causing the dragon to groan inwardly. "The foliage surrounding the Tree of Life has been receding. We're actually rather fortunate you don't move in your sleep anymore or else your tail would surely flatten a good portion of the forests."

"I wish I was like you two…" Courage whispered. "If I was smaller I could help with the mission, I could move around instead of lying around the Tree of Life like a stone."

"More like a mountain," Wisdom interrupted.

Pretending she didn't hear that, Courage continued, "I want to play with you two again like we used to, I want to sleep on the grass after a long day of laughter and not worry about crushing Love to death in her sleep."

"Hey, what about me!" Wisdom shouted.

"I don't care about you, prankster." Courage snorted. "I'd crush you willingly and enjoy every gruesome second of it."

"That hurts, Courage." Wisdom said with fake tears, "That hurts me real bad right here," she pointed to her heart. "These tears of mine shall never cease."

"N-Nyahaha, you two are so silly. Always fighting like that and not mean anything by it, you two really do get along." Love commented smiling happily at her two friends. "But I don't see a reason why Courage can't have a form like ours. We are the moderators of this world and I see no harm in reworking a few things here and there. That is the reason why we're on this planet, isn't it?"

"Love, when did you become such a bad girl?" Wisdom chuckled as a sly smirk spread on her face. "So are we really going to turn scaly butt here into someone like us?"

"Of course we are! We can't leave our friend to live miserably." Love replied. "I think we should focus on giving Courage a new form before anything else."

"Really?"

"Yep, you're our number one priority now, Courage!"

Happiness filled the great dragon's heart like never before. She sat calmly, listening to the two girls on top of her head discuss how they would make their promise into reality. Even though she remained still, Courage fought the urge to move around and dance. She would finally be able to return to their sides unashamed of her size.

"Will I be able to wear things like you do?"

"Hm," Love looked down at herself and poked at the fabric she wore. When she had been created, the Third had provided her and Wisdom with their special attire and never thought much of it. She had always wondered what was beneath it, but never pursued the idea. "I don't see why not, but I don't think something like this would suit you very well. Of the three of us you deal with the most physical duties, so something flimsy and easily damaged isn't for you."

"Oh… okay…" said the crestfallen dragon, she had hoped to wear something pretty like the other two girls.

"B-But I don't see why we can't make something else for you!" Wisdom cut in. "I think I can make you something out of this neat malleable rock I found." Digging in her pocket, Wisdom fished around for the object she had stumbled upon while taking a walk. "I was exploring the mountains and found this," pulling out a flat shimmering rock. "I was thinking of calling it Silver."

"Wisdom, I can't see what you're holding…" Rolling her eyes, Wisdom flew down to the dragon's left eye and showed her the rock. "Oh, that is a shiny rock. I like it, I like it a lot!"

"Anyways, watch what happens when I do this…" Summoning her powers, Wisdom began manipulating the rock. "I can mold it into different shapes and sizes, and surely with enough of these rocks I can form you a protective shell like a turtle!"

"I don't want to be a turtle."

"How about an armadillo?"

"That's even worse!"

"A crab could work, or a lobster!"

"Love, help me!" Courage whimpered as Wisdom listed an astonishing amount of armoured creatures.

"Nyahaha, Wisdom, why not just make something that fits her body?"

Looking at the dragon Wisdom said, "That'll take more material than we have, Love."

"If we're going to do really do this, Wisdom how quickly do you think you can make it?" asked Courage.

"Shouldn't take too long with my brilliance, I just need to gather the materials first then when we can just fashion it onto your new form."

"Do you think you can start right now? I would like to speak with Love for a moment." Courage prayed to the Ancients that the trickster would accept the request without resistance.

"Alright fine, I can take a hint! The third wheel will get outta here. I can see when I'm not wanted, ciao!"

Wisdom vanished in an instant, leaving the great dragon and Love behind. Relief washed over Courage as Wisdom was no longer close enough to be tracked.

"Love, may I be honest with you?" Courage asked with hesitation.

"Of course, Courage, what's on your mind?"

"I haven't been completely honest with you and Wisdom about myself." Courage stood up only to sit back down startling Love in the process. Spreading her wings to their full extent, Courage enveloped herself and Love forming a cocoon like structure. "Please be ready to fly when this is all over."

"C-Courage, what's happening?" Love whimpered as she clutched onto one of Courage's horns. It was pitch black within the enclosed space Courage had made.

"Close your eyes, Love, you will understand in a moment."

A searing white light swallowed them whole and it lingered for what felt like an eternity. Keeping her eyes as tightly shut as she could, Love moved to get a better hold onto Courage's horn only to realize it had disappeared. Panicking, Love searched for Courage's other horn, but it was gone as well.

"Courage, where are you!" Love screamed in a panic. "Courage!"

In the height of her worry, Love failed to sense the presence that neared her. A warm hand pressed itself against Love's cheek, startling the girl.

"C-Courage?"

"We don't have much time left, Love."

"Tell me what's happening!"

The hand on Love's cheek retracted itself only to return with its companion. Two arms wrapped around the frightened girl's waist and a head rested on her shoulder. Feeling the warm body press against her, Love instinctively wrapped her own arms around it.

"I'm so tired…"

And as quickly as the white light appeared, it vanished. Tentatively opening her eyes, Love was greeted with a sight more beautiful than any of the Ancients' creations before it. Amber tresses that shimmered under the sun's light dazzled Love's senses. Looking down into her arms, the stunned maiden was startled to see she was holding onto another body much like her own and that the great dragon that resided with them was gone.

"Courage, is that you?" Love asked as she repositioned the girl she held onto. A weak nod was her answer. After a closer inspection she saw multiple differences between herself and Courage, she saw certain traits of the dragon had remained. "But how?"

"I stumbled upon this form one night when Wisdom and I fought. I got so upset at what she had said I curled up as I just did and then that bright light. I had been so jealous of you and her that I guess I just willed myself to change. Haha, silly right?"

"No, not silly at all!" Love exclaimed. "You're beautiful, Courage!"

A blush appeared on the great dragon's face as she stared up at Love. "A-Am I really?"

"Un! Courage was always cute though, so that didn't change one bit."

"Do you think we can get back to the ground now? I'm a feeling a little insecure without full use of my wings," Courage admitted. She could see her wings sway with the wind, but she could not feel them, and no matter how hard she tried to move them, they remained still.

"Oh sure thing!"

Love quickly brought herself and Courage back down to earth. The once gargantuan dragon, now reduced to a slender young woman, touched the grass for the first time in years without leaving a damaging imprint. It took her a moment to gain her bearings and walk on two feet instead of four.

"You're incredibly tall, Courage!" Love blurted out on accident. Courage turned around too quickly and stumbled, her tail bending at an awkward angle.

"Oh noes, I'm sorry I didn't mean to say that out—"

Love stared at Courage's face and blushed. While they were in the sky, the smiling maiden did not get a very good look at the former behemoth's face, but now they were face to face Love felt something she had never felt before.

Ba-bump

"Love? You're staring at me all funny like," Courage hid her face behind her long golden bangs and pushed herself off of the ground.

"I'm sorry, I got distracted just now."

"That's not like you…"

Courage fumbled around like a new born calf for quite some time. Whenever she took a step either her tail or wings would get caught and cause her to trip and fall. She had scraped her knee, shins and arms but kept trying. Love stayed back and cheered for the dragon and offered her assistance every times she fell. Days had gone by without their notice and soon Courage was running around, flying and doing as she pleased. The practice she had gone through with Love had paid off.

"Look at you, Ms. Great Dragon, your butt no longer crushes half of Central. Are you happy?"

"Quite so!" Courage grinned. Using her wings as makeshift garments to hide her nudity, the great dragon flexed her arms and beamed, "With this form I'm not as destructively powerful, or as menacing, but I'm so nimble and agile now, I can move around and…"

"And what?" asked Love.

Shifting her gaze away from Love's piercing blue eyes, Courage took a few tentative steps and reached out for Love's hand. "I can touch you without worrying I'd hurt you," Courage confessed with a steadily deepening blush. "And I can hug you, too. I'm happiest about that the most."

"I'm happy, too"

"Am I… interrupting something here?"

The two pulled apart and stood stiffly not daring to breathe.

"So are you ready for your super-duper shiny new amour that I made with every ounce of my love and adoration!"

Wisdom walked around Courage and inspected her closely. She poked and prodded the much taller girl mumbling to herself.

Feeling a little awkward, Courage broke the silence and asked, "How did you know it was me, Wisdom?"

"Elementary my dear girl!" Wisdom grinned and patted Courage on the shoulder and said, "For one, the big yellow dragon you could see from miles and miles away is gone. Two there were only two like me and Love, not three. And three… I sort of saw you change that first time all those years ago."

"You did?"

"I felt bad for what I said and I followed you…"

"Well that explains why you left so willingly," commented Courage with a lopsided grin.

"Oh, I didn't really think about that. I thought you were finally going to confess to Love about how much you well… love her."

Courage and Love looked at each other, blushes both on their faces along with goofy grins. Neither could speak nor move all they could think about was what Wisdom had said just now. Love? Preposterous! They were the embodiments of the three Ancients; emotions weren't factored into those positions ironically. And it's impossible, isn't it?

"Should I leave for a few more days, or is it okay to sit here and watch you two make googly-eyes?" asked the trickster, but she was once again ignored. "Hello? Sexy weather witch here looking for attention."

Love was the first one to snap out of her daze and laughed, "Nyahaha, there's no way something like that could happen between Courage and I! She's practically my sister—no wait, she is my sister!"

"Agreed!"

Shifting her gaze between the two, Wisdom shook her head and hugged the both of them. "Whatever you guys say, you'll figure it out eventually. Now whatever you two plan to do from this point on, I want you to know you have my full support."

"Um, okay." Courage said awkwardly.

"I left your new clothes at the base of the Tree of Life, so feel free to try it on. If it doesn't fit, just fix it yourself. I'm going to take a nap, later cuddle-bunnies." Wisdom flew off without waiting for Courage or Love to say anything more.

They stood there for a moment and waited till Wisdom was out of hearing distance before breaking the silence.

"So about what she said, do you think it's…?" asked Courage, her stomach felt queasy at the thoughts running through her head. "It would explain a lot of things and well it isn't like I haven't thought about it before."

"I've thought about these things, too," Love answered. Her heart was beating rapidly as she forced the words to continue forming within her mind. "I don't exactly know when these feelings began. Maybe they were here from the very beginning."

"You are a very special person to me, Love."

"You're very special to me as well, Courage, but is this something we should really be exploring? The possibilities are endless between you and I, we have an eternity to venture each path."

Courage brought Love into a gentle embrace and rested her chin on the shorter girl's head. Returning the embrace, Love snuggled in closer to Courage's chest. "She's right, you know?"

"Hm?"

"Wisdom, she's right for once, surprisingly enough."

Looking into Courage's incarnadine orbs, Love saw the truth. "It's a little hard to admit but I think so, too."

"Love, I really care about you," Courage whispered, her forehead touching Love's. "And I would like to continue exploring these unknown feelings I have for you."

"I'd like that a lot, Courage."


	3. Arc 1: 2

**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

******Arc 1: The Heart of Courage: The Dragon's Legacy**

* * *

320,000 Years Later

* * *

With Courage downsized and finally happy with herself, Love and Wisdom began brain storming how they would create beings like themselves. Courage wanted their creation to follow laws and live orderly lives, while Wisdom wanted them to dedicate their lives to knowledge and games. The two friends bickered for three centuries before Love found the strength to speak up.

"Why can't we just give them free will? The Ancients gave us free will, so why can't we do the same?" she said with a cheerful smile.

Courage gave her curious glance and opened to her mouth to speak, but decided she would give the girl a chance to finish before saying anything more.

"We can shape their society at the start, but let them take care of things after that. Wisdom can teach our children about all of our beliefs then push them to make their own. She will lay down the basis of their knowledge.

Courage, you can watch over them and make sure they follow the path of righteousness, but you need to let them create their own rules and laws, we cannot enforce our will unto them; however, I see no reason why you cannot step in if something goes awry, but please try and limit your interference."

"Sounds fair enough, but I'm scared of what will happen if we give our creations too much freedom." Courage crossed her arms and began pacing, her thoughts tremulous. "Stopping a few quarrels between animals is one thing, but stopping a mass of beings like you two could be catastrophic!"

"We're not going to give them our powers, sulphur breath." Wisdom chided. "That'd just be stupid! They will pretty much be animals, a little smarter but animals nonetheless."

"Yep, so anymore worries or questions, Courage?" asked Love with a bright smile.

"I do have one last question I'm afraid," Stopping her insistent fidgeting, Courage turned to Love and asked, "Will you be _monitoring_ their population like you do with the other living things?"

"Well of course I will it is my duty after all to make sure everything is in balance."

"Um, I don't think you understand what I'm asking…"

"Huh?"

"What Courage is asking is will you be keeping them at a set population like everything else or will you be letting them multiply on their own." Wisdom could tell her friend had trouble conveying her thoughts into words, it was an endearing trait.

"Oh, I've been fiddling around with that these past few years. I actually stopped maintaining the population of certain earthen and aquatic creatures as well as a number of plant species to see how they would fair on their own." Love explained, she had been watching over these specimens and found that they were quite capable of handling themselves.

Wisdom grinned and gave her friend a thumbs up, "It's just like you to think ahead like this, Love!"

"Nyahaha, it's no big deal really."

Furiously shaking her head, the great dragon roared, "No Love, it is a big deal! Such a large task deserves recognition!"

"It really isn't that big of a deal guys…"

"How far into your testing are you?" Wisdom asked with genuine curiosity. "Did you increase the number of subjects?"

"Actually I have and everything seems to be going quite well," the long haired brunette waved her hand and created a triangular diagram with her magic. "At first I chose species that had nothing to do with each other and noticed how their numbers would steadily increase, but eventually that would get out of hand and we'd have an unbalanced number of them."

"That makes sense," the dragon nodded in agreement taking in all the information carefully. "Did you think of something to lower their numbers without taking control?"

"I did actually, I introduced their natural predators."

Waving her hands once more another diagram appeared beside the triangle. It depicted a segmented forward moving line with plants at the end and a predator at the front with a couple of smaller creatures in between the two.

Courage and Wisdom looked at the line trying to connect each segment together. The two were simply baffled at the puzzle before them.

"Uh, I don't get it."

"I don't either," Wisdom scratched the top of her head and cupped her chin with her free hand, "since the predator is on top of the food chain, what brings their numbers down?"

"There will always be something above the other, there is no such thing as the perfect predator nor will there be an end of the line bottom species. Everyone has something to take them up and to bring them down."

"Say what?"

Giggling at her friends' confusion, the smiling maiden poked the line and caused it to expand tremendously causing the other two girls to gasp out in surprise. Courage fell back stammering uncontrollably while Wisdom grew white in shock.

"Nature is splendidly complex," Wiping both diagrams away with her hands, Love walked over to Courage and offered her a hand. "I realized that the more I added to the chain the easier it was to maintain a preferable balance."

"I didn't even know we had this many living here on Mid," The great dragon stared in awe, she had no idea Love's duties were so important—not that her duties were any less important compared to Wisdom's or the dragon's, they were made equal after all.

"When I figured this out I allowed the animals, fish and plants to handle themselves. Even during the preliminary stages of the food chain the numbers fluctuated depending on many factors such as the season, weather and the species itself overall. I could go on and on about this all night..."

Inspecting the diagram closely, the weather god asked, "Has anything gone extinct so far?"

"Thankfully there haven't been any so far, though there have been a few times were species lower on the food chain became slightly overpopulated during a season when it's natural predator was hibernating or busy migrating. But no matter how you muddle it around the lower chains will always outnumber the top chain."

"Okay, I think I'm starting to understand what you're getting that," Courage crossed her arms and thought deeply on the subject trying to understand. "So for example if we have six carrots, there would be one rabbit for every two carrots, and for every two rabbits we'd have one hawk."

"Precisely! With this in mind nothing has dipped into the red zone or gone passed the green zone; the ecosystem really is extraordinary. "If the chance things do go out of balance, and I guarantee it will eventually, it usually fixes itself if given enough time." Love explained as best as she could, she didn't really know how to express the whole process in a method simple enough for Courage to understand—not that she thought the girl was slow of course. "So I think allowing our children to manage themselves isn't something to be too wary of."

"What if they multiply too rapidly and their settlements become insufficient?"

"Mid-Childa is a very large planet as you've already seen, Spikey-wikey. It isn't going to be hard to find another place to dump a few excess people into," answered Wisdom. "And if there isn't enough land we can just make more."

"That is reasonable… I guess, but "Spikey-wikey"? Can't you be a little more original?"

"I'm sure they'll continue to expand their settlements and branch off without our assistance. Think of it like a tree, we have the base and as you keep going up you see it splits apart."

"They'll figure out wood floats eventually and build something to help them across."

Courage scratched the top of her head, her face forming a questionable expression, "But you just said there aren't any other land masses on Mid-Childa other than the ground we're standing on right…"

"Sulfur breath say what?"

"What?"

"Weren't you listening to me? I just said if there isn't any more land we'll just make more before our little monstrosities take their first steps off of the coast."

"Wisdom, sometimes I wonder if you've got a few—"

Slapping a hand onto her friend's mouth, Wisdom glowered menacingly, "Don't even finish that sentence you cotton stuffed iguana."

"Ma, ma, ma let's simmer down," Love chimed in. She didn't enjoy watching her friends argue, it brought discord to their little field of harmony. "We're getting off topic."

"Sorry, Love…" the two said with their heads hung low.

The smiling maiden clapped her hands and cheered on her friends as they made amends to each other. The dragon felt a little awkward apologizing to the trickster, they both knew their words held no malice and everything was being said just for laughs. In the history of her friendship, Courage and Wisdom never fought to the stormy peek, so what are a few raindrops between friends?

"Anymore questions?"

"Hm, no I'm okay okay that is it for my questions," stated Courage even though she was still a little unsure of a few details, she just didn't want the maiden or Wisdom to go into more convoluted topics, "Love has the hardest task between us I shouldn't really complain."

"Nyahaha, it isn't hard at all!" Love jumped up happily and ran towards Courage, her arms looping around the great dragon from behind. "All I have to do is close my eyes and imagine what I want them to look like and poof! Just like that."

"It can't be that easy…" scoffed Courage.

"It is," Wisdom deadpanned, her shaking finger pointing towards two humanoid figures wandering off in the distance.

Love scratched the back of head and giggled. "I figured out how to create things on accident. I was taking a nap and my dream was about a horse with a horn on its head. When I woke up the creature I dreamt of was staring right at me with its snout in my face."

"That explains the recent horse droppings lying around my nest." Courage grimaced at the memory of stepping barefoot in some.

"It will take some time to make as many as we plan to, but I can do it. I know I can."

Courage tapped her chin and asked, "What about Wisdom and I? Do you think we can create, too?"

"I've been making things a lot recently," Wisdom said adding her own two cents into the conversation. "I haven't been able to make anything living yet, but I'll assume that power may just be reserved for the 'Mother of All'."

"The time to explore the unknown begins once more." Courage grinned, her eyes narrowing in anticipation. "Challenge accepted."

* * *

357,300 Years Later

* * *

As time passed by Courage and Love began to grow closer and closer leaving Wisdom behind to watch as the distance between herself and her friends begin to lengthen. The tension had gotten so bad she no longer resided with the other two immortals at the Tree of Life. Fleeing to South Mid-Childa, Wisdom had found a large untouched meadow filled with an extraordinary assortment of fragrant flowers surrounded by a mighty deciduous forest. At first she wasn't all too thrilled to be living so far away from her companions and the Yggdrasil, but shortly after her arrival her humble presence had been noticed by the humans living in a quaint little town nearby. A shrine was soon erected and a tree had been planted in her honour; the humans paid homage to the shrine every month. Wisdom took residence within it and watched over the village that worshiped her.

She had everything she could ever hope for: freedom, praise, tributes, and peace.

Wisdom looked up at the two Mid-Childan moons and sighed, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

She was lonely.

So much time had passed by since she had first laid eyes upon the Tree of Life, but nothing of significance had changed for her since then. She was mature now and looked much older than when she first woke up, she had gotten taller and her body had dramatically changed. She grew breasts that were larger than her companions even though she was by far the shortest of the three. Her hair had gotten a longer as well, but still nowhere near as long as Love's or Courage's. However, underneath it all she was still the same little girl from the beginning who loved to play pranks and learn new things, though what might have been the greatest change of her life were her feelings towards the great dragon, Courage.

She had always been jealous of how Courage treated Love and wondered what she could do to change that. Constantly comparing herself to the smiling maiden, Wisdom struggled to overcome her insecurities and find confidence within herself and not just in her abilities. She began acting like Love and spoke to the winged behemoth in a kinder, gentler manner instead of her usual tricks and jokes. For a while, it appeared to have worked, but Courage quickly grew to dislike the sweeter side of the trickster and asked she go back to being who she once was.

"I like you the way you are, Prankster," were Courage's thoughtful words, "Don't ever change please?"

It was there and then that Wisdom was forced to accept that it was too late to redirect Courage's affections towards herself; Love had already captured the gallant beast's heart flawlessly.

This had been centuries ago and the grinning trickster accepted that her feelings were no match for Love's.

She gracefully accepted the truth… despite the pain that accompanied it.

"You know Wisdom, you're much cuter when you have a smile on your face," Courage said in a soft tone. Her voice was a soothing alto that could lull a child to sleep in seconds; this was a sound Wisdom missed dearly. She could still remember all the times she had fallen asleep to Courage's lullabies. She walked up to the tree Wisdom was perched on and waved. "Care for a chat, old friend?"

"I'm not really in the mood to talk at the moment," Wisdom climbed up to a higher branch to avoid Courage's worried gaze. "Go bother Love and leave me be."

Not wanting to leave the young woman's side, the dragon steeled her resolve and asked, "Wisdom, what's wrong?"

"I said go away…"

"We miss you, why don't you ever come by?" Courage asked growling in frustration. In truth she was not here of her own accord, Love had sent her.

"I don't belong with you and Love anymore that's why. Now leave."

Shaking her head, Courage began to scale the tree careful that her claws didn't dig into the bark. She could have easily jumped or flown up to the branch Wisdom perched herself upon, but if the trickster took the time to climb the tree there was no harm in doing it herself.

"Now that isn't true, you belong with me as much as I belong with Love and she with you. Please, Wisdom; tell me what is wrong so that I may fix it!"

"You cannot mend this ache in my heart, Courage."

"Why not?"

Looking down at the unnaturally handsome dragon's face Wisdom took notice of the sudden change in her appearance. The last time she had seen Courage was roughly seven thousand years ago. Her face had thinned down, revealing a chiselled jaw line and well defined cheekbones. The red markings on her cheeks had grown larger and jagged, just as the horns atop her head had. The dragon's eyes had lost their youthful ambition and were readily replaced with refined intellectuality. She had seen many things through the course of her life and not all were pleasant. Wisdom chuckled at the realization that Courage had grown even more; she wondered how she measured against the dragon now. Would she be by her chest or maybe her stomach?

"Did you leave because I had fallen for Love?" Courage's carmine eyes pierced into Wisdom's soul, her secret revealed without a struggle. "There's no other reason, is there? No, that has to be it."

"E-Er… ahh…"

"I knew it," Frowning, Courage took the branch closest the Wisdom. "I'm sorry I didn't notice sooner, my friend."

"I can't blame you, dragon. Love is a very charming woman; it would be hard to not fall in love with her."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

A weak smile graced the trickster's lips as she returned her gaze back to the moons. "Because I was hoping my feelings would be as clear as the night sky."

"I was blinded, star struck and ignorant."

"You can't make everyone happy Courage, you just need to keep pushing forward," Wisdom said. "Even though as immortals we are gifted with an infinite number of paths to take, some good and some bad, but I think your path was clear from the very beginning. You have always stayed by Love's side as her guardian and friend; it was inevitable you two would fall for one another."

"But you were just as close as I."

"Courage, I know you aren't very open with your emotions so I want to ask you something."

"Ask away, Prankster."

"Did you come here yourself or did Love tell you to come see me?" Courage lowered her head in shame. "I see… did you even once think about getting me?"

"There were quite a few attempts, but I got worried I might bother you if I suddenly showed up and dragged you back to the tree."

"And what of Love?"

"Oh she's been complaining since you disappeared all those centuries ago. Not a day has gone by since you left had she been silent about you."

"Just now, your voice changed when you spoke about her." Wisdom commented. She had noticed the changes throughout the conversation and deduced the dragon was here for another reason.

"Yes, really…"

"Aah, I'm doing it again aren't I? I'm so sorry Wisdom; I keep stepping over your feelings." Guilt ridden, Courage jumped down from the tree and sat by its trunk with her knees tucked under her chin, tail coiled around her feet. "I can't contain the joy I feel when I speak about Love. I'm such a terrible friend."

"You aren't a terrible friend; I'm the one who ran away. If anyone's terrible here it'd be me."

"I didn't even notice how you felt and now I just keep rubbing salt into your wounds."

"It is ancient history, Courage, just drop it."

Shaking her head furiously, Courage protested. "History or not I've hurt my treasured friend. I'm a failure to my namesake."

"You aren't crying are you?"

"Of course not! I'm a weakling, not a cry-baby."

Flying down from her tree, Wisdom sat beside Courage and rested her head on the other woman's shoulder. "You're too honest Courage, that's what I like about you."

"Really?"

"Yes really, now will you tell me the reason why you're really here?"

"I don't know if I should tell you or not," Courage confessed. She felt guilty enough as is, the news Love had sent her to relay would make the situation much worse, but she was just… so happy. "Telling you what I have to say would make you feel worse and then we'd probably never see you again."

"It can't be that bad now can it?"

"At first I didn't think much of it, but after learning of your true feelings… I think it will be quite devastating."

"Just get to the point."

"I don't think I can say it now that I know you're in love with Love," said the great dragon, her face contorted with guilt.

"Huh?" Wisdom blinked. "You think I'm in love with _her_?" Courage nodded. "Okay, okay back up, back up… somewhere along the line here you got lost."

"Wisdom?"

"I'm not in love with Love, Courage." Wisdom chuckled ruefully.

"I don't get it…"

"I'm in love with _you_." The grinning trickster jabbed her finger into her friend's chest as she spoke the final word to drive the topic home. "Do you get it now?

"Eh?" The confession had come as a shock to the burgundy eyed beast. "What!"

"You are _really_ stupid, aren't you?" The weather master fell over in laughter, she knew her friend was dense but it hadn't occurred to her that she could take it this far.

"W-With me? Then all this time you've… not… Love… huh?"

Sighing, Wisdom patted Courage on the head and smiled. "Yes, I'm in love with you. I don't hate Love for stealing away the heart I never held; you two belong together. If my best buds fall in love I'm not going to complain about it; if I did I'd be a pretty rotten friend. I was jealous at first because I loved you so much, but after watching you two, I realized there wasn't any room for my affections in your heart. I gave up hope and left, you two needed space to grow together, and I needed to move on. My heart cannot dwell on this one-sided love forever; we all need to grow up someday."

"Ah you've really matured haven't you?"

"Don't flatter me," Wisdom scoffed at her friend, her nose in the air. "Cynicism isn't maturity."

"Then how do you suppose I call this new transition in life then?"

"Eh?" Wisdom cocked a perfectly shaped eyebrow and sighed, "Anyway Dragon, what business do you have with me this night?"

"Love and I are having a child of our own." Courage's confession was as sudden as Wisdom's.

"Okay, now _that_ is surprising!" A suffocating pain shot throughout Wisdom's body as Courage laughed away her embarrassment. "Congratulations are in order, huh?" she added in a quieter tone.

"Ahaha, yeah I guess… I'm very excited about it, but at the same time I'm also very worried."

"A kid between you and that destructive lunatic, that's going to be either one cute kid or one messed up abomination."

"That's exactly why I'm scared. This form of mine is not the original; I worry she may lay an egg instead of deliver a baby. But what frightens me more is the child's appearance…"

"Pfft," Wisdom stifled her laughter.

"I'm being serious here, droll!" Courage screamed. "Love says there's nothing to worry about. The child will be fine and it shall bear both our likeness… but I…"

"Am a gigantic, horny lizard whose fat ass took up more than half of Central Mid-Childa." Wisdom interjected with her signature guffaw.

Glaring at the woman beside her, Courage said, "I hate to admit it, but that was exactly what I was going to say save for that final bit about my behind—it was not that big!"

"You know I'm just teasing you right? Your butt's fine, it's actually really, really nice. Firm, too."

"I'm glad you think so, Wisdom."

"The truth frees us all, ne?"

Hugging the grinning trickster, Courage placed a solemn kiss on the woman's cheek and asked, "Will you come visit the day my child is born? It would mean a lot to Love and I."

"I'll be there, but can I ask you one last thing?"

"Anything."

"Have you picked out a name for it yet?"

It had taken Love and Courage quite some time to decide on a name. They listed down everything they loved in Mid-Childa and compared them, but only two of their answers matched: Wisdom and life.

"Do you remember what the third said when he created you?"

"Bits and pieces, but that had been so long ago it's hard to remember it all exactly."

Clearing her throat, Courage said in a low voice, "You are the reason for all the joy and excitement in this world. Your games and tricks keep things lively, and we would like it if our child inherits those traits."

"And that ties in with my question how?" Wisdom was thoroughly confused with the dragon's logic and wondered if she had hit her head somewhere.

"We're naming the child after you, dear friend."

Taken aback by the dragon's revelation, Wisdom was at a loss for words. "I don't deserve such a great honor, Courage!"

"Yes you do."

"Well okay if you say so," the trickster said, her mood completely altered. "So you still haven't told me what the child's name will be."

"Olivie."


	4. Arc 1: 3

**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

******Arc 1: The Heart of Courage: The Dragon's Legacy**

* * *

11,120 Years Later

* * *

"Wisdom, do you know what's wrong with Olivie!" Love latched onto the trickster in a desperate attempt to keep her repose. "I was in town with Courage and she was playing with some village children. We weren't gone for very long…"

"Where is Courage?" Wisdom asked, trying to keep a calm demeanour.

"I'm not too sure; she flew off in a hurry after she brought Olivie home, but that was hours ago!" Love continued to hold on Wisdom much to the latter's dismay. "Is there anything you can do to help my little girl?"

"This wound on her ankle looks like a snake bite, but I'm not too sure what kind of snake inflicted it or what kind of venom it contains," Wisdom brushed away a stray strand of hair from the child's flushed face, careful of the cold wet wash cloth on her forehead, and tucked it behind her pointed ears. She smiled fondly at the similarities Olivie shared with Courage and wondered in silence; had the dragon chosen her instead and they had a child of their own, would it look like the breathtakingly beautiful child before her? "Immortals do not get sick, but this is most definitely a fever and a very high one at that... I would suggest trying some human medicine, but I don't see how they will fare against Oli's immune system. It could make her better or worse, I don't know."

Guilt washed over Love as she watched her child silently suffer. Had she been a more attentive parent this never would have happened…

"Courage and I have been suspecting that Olivie may not be like one of us."

"Hm?"

"She's aging much faster than any of us did."

"I've noticed it as well, but I didn't want to pry in family matters…"

"Was it because I brought her into this world myself?" Love caressed the little girl's cheek and trembled when the child shivered and coughed profusely. "She's getting worse!"

"Calm down, Love, being hysterical won't solve the problem."

The door silently creaked open as the great dragon made her presence known.

"A restriction the Ancients placed upon us was the inability to create another immortal." Courage walked into the room and took her place beside Love, her eyes focused on her daughter. Seeing her child suffer weighed heavily on her heart, there was nothing she could do but sit, watch and pray. "Olivie is undoubtedly a duragojyn, but at the same time she is not. Her immune system is by far superior and her life span… well it's been over a millennium since she's been born and Olivie still looks like a human six year old child. She will be on Mid-Childa for quite a long time, not forever but still quite a long time; however, I have changed that."

"Changed what, exactly, and how do you know all this, Courage?"

"I had a word with the First."

"What! How did you—never mind, did the First say anything that can help our little girl?"

Nodding her head, Courage said, "Olivie shall be fine. Just make sure she gets enough rest and plenty of liquids."

"What exactly did you do, Courage?"

"I handled it, Wisdom."

"Courage, is there something wrong? Something doesn't feel right about this…"

"Nothing is wrong my love, I assure you." Grasping her beloved's hands, Courage urged her to stand up. "Wisdom will you follow us? There is something I must discuss with the two of you and I don't want to disturb Olivie's slumber."

The two women followed the winged creature outside of the house. They walked in silence bracing themselves for what Courage had to say. The sinking feeling Love felt when she stared into her mate's eyes filled her with dread.

"I think we've walked far enough Courage, do you mind telling us now?"

"The truth cannot be concealed for any longer, huh?" Courage chuckled ruefully and relinquished her hold on Love's hand. "Olivie shall regain her health given time and we shall not have to worry about her getting sick every again."

"You're speaking in riddles again, scaly butt."

"The first has agreed to trade my immortality for Olivie's mortality. I am nothing more than your ordinary Duragojyn now."

"W-What!?" Wisdom stepped back in shock, her friend staring at her with a rueful expression.

"How could you do this without consulting me first, Courage!" Love snapped. "You and I are supposed to be partners, we make decisions together."

"The choice between our child's life and my own is very simple. You have lived with me for quite some time Love, Olivie is proof of that. You carried her for as long as the humans have, maybe even longer than that… our sense of time isn't all that _accurate_. You have raised this child, nurtured her and protected her. She is your flesh and blood as well as mine. We created this little miracle together and watched her grow. Your heart would not be able to handle the idea of Olivie's death; she is far too precious to you."

"Courage, I agree with Love. Such a decision made without our counsel was selfish. There must be some other way to work around this, maybe we can ask the Ancients to give your immortality back and make Olivie like us."

"No," the dragon said adamantly. "There are three Ancients so likewise there shall only ever be three of immortals."

Furious of her partner's cruel decision, Love glared at the dragon through tearful eyes. "I can't live without you, Courage."

"Love, Olivie needs you and it isn't like I'm dying now!"

"Don't say that!"

"Enjoy the time we have left together, don't spend it cursing me for my decision. I know it was selfish, but it was a decision I felt necessary." Courage drew her two companions together and embraced them tightly. "The memories we have made shall always be within my heart in this life and in the next."

"What will I do without you?" Love asked, tears streaking her face.

"After my passing you must look towards the night sky. The First promised me that upon my death my soul will reincarnate and a star, brighter than all the others, will begin to shine in the north. Now it may take me decades maybe even centuries to return, but I promise I will never stop searching for you both."

"I'll keep a look out for you then," Wisdom added with a smirk. "I'll make sure to drag you back to us even if you come kicking and screaming."

"Ahaha I appreciate the notion, Jester."

420 Years Later

News of Courage's mortality spread quickly amongst the people. The greedy believed if they killed the mighty dragon they could attain her powers and maybe even the immortal that loved her. Many attempts were made on her life, all foiled by Courage's immense strength and wit, but with mortality came age, and with age came hindrances.

Courage had the appearance of gracefully aged fifty-something year old woman. Her handsome features had not waned, nor her sense of justice. All those who raised their weapons against her met with a swift and painless end, but one assassin had slipped through her defences one day. Courage quickly dealt with him, but what made this one unique was his weapon of choice. The wound he inflected on Courage was not fatal, but the poison lacing the weapon was.

The great dragon staggered home, her legs quickly growing numb. She made it to the shrine's doorstep before collapsing from fatigue. Sensing something was amiss, Love went to check what was nagging her. To her horror she saw Courage sprawled on the ground bleeding profusely.

"Courage!" she screamed as she ran to her beloved's side. Carefully she rolled Courage onto her back and placed the dragon's head on her lap.

"I seem to have a bit of a scratch," Courage weakly joked.

Scanning the dragon's frail form, Love saw a deep gash on her side. "Who did this to you?"

"I have handled the situation Love, but this is still the beginning and you will accept that."

"Don't lie to yourself; you know how well I deal with acceptance when it comes to things I disagree with."

"Lying has never been my strong point," the dragon smiled and cupped Love's cheek, her thumb gently caressing the soft skin. "We have spent much time together have we not?"

"Yes, quite a lot… but we were supposed to spend eternity together."

"And we will, unfortunately it just won't be in this form. Do you remember the First's promise?"

Nodding her head weakly, Love replied, "Yes I do, but how will I know you'll come back to me?"

"I loved you twelve-thousand years ago, eight thousand years later and I still yearn for you, and in one million and two thousand years I will still love you." Courage offered Love one last smile, "Will you send me off with a smile?"

* * *

268,000 Years later

* * *

"Mama, the north star is out again." Olivie walked up to her mother whose back faced her like an inscalable wall. "Will you be searching for her again?"

Love remained silent.

To Olivie the other woman stood deathly still, but looking down at Love's shadow the blonde haired child saw the tremble in her hands.

"You should hurry before Wisdom finds her again."

Turning her head to the side, Love looked at her daughter and smiled, "The Great Dragon's memories of our time together have faded; she no longer searches for me."

"Whether she searches or not you should still—you've found her already haven't you?" Love nodded her head. "Then why do you stand here? Bring her home, Mama."

"I've done a terrible thing, child." Love chuckled ruefully. "She'll never want to come back now."

"Mama?"

Clenching her fist, the incarnation of love shuddered. "Olivie, would you please leave me alone to my thoughts?"

"But Mama you can't just stand here and think the one you love is out there waiting for you!"

"She isn't waiting for me, Olivie." Love growled, her patience wearing thin.

Olivie scratched her head unsure of how to approach the issue. Her mother was always stubborn and hard to deal it, but she thought that if it involved the great dragon her mother would change. "How do you know, Mama?"

"Angel, please leave me be…"

Olivie gave up on convincing her mother to take action and left the room. She had just reached the staircase when she heard quiet sobbing. Remembering her mother's words, Olivie forced herself to obey. With each step she took the weeping became louder and louder to the point where it resembled screaming rather than crying. Olivie balked and spun around to face the looming staircase before her. Love needed her for support, but she also said to leave.

A mother's word is absolute so why was it so hard to do as told?

Unable to keep herself at bay, Olivie ran up the stairs nearly flying to the top and raced back to her mother's side.

"Mama!" she cried out as she threw her arms around the heartbroken woman.

"Olivie, I have done something terrible…" Love said between choked sobs. Raising her hands up to the moonlight, a sickening grin appeared on Love's face.

Releasing the woman from her hold, Olivie moved to stand in front of her mother only to fall back down in horror. "M-Mama, what did you do?"

She hadn't noticed it in the tension before, but the room reeked heavily of fresh blood. It was sickening; the smells made Olivie throw up a little in her mouth as it wafted around her sensitive nose.

"I've done something terrible… something terrible indeed."

The pristine white garb that Love wore as a symbol of her pure heart was dyed a deep red. Blood splatters were evident on every inch of the woman, even her face but the largest stain was on her chest and hands.

"The people called me something when they saw what I had done. Their voices were loud and united screaming this name as they fled: White Devil."

"Mama…" Olivie shuddered, her mother was speaking nonsensical.

Shielding her nose from the stench, the baby dragon fought to maintain consciousness. The smell has so overbearing it had seeped into the walls.

Bringing her hands to her face, Love stroked her cheeks and laughed, her tongue licking her lips of the dried blood that stained them. "You should have seen her face. She had no idea who I was and why was there, all she knew was that she was scared."

"Tell me what happened, Mama."

"Isn't it obvious, my little chickadee?" Love looked directly at her daughter and frowned. "I killed her. I killed the great dragon with my bare hands."

"Why would you do that, Mama! What happened to love?" Olivie pressed herself against the wall, she was not afraid of her mother but rather she pitied her.

"Love? No, my heart cannot take this pain anymore. Waiting for her to come back to me only to have her stolen by that cursed harlequin whore, her memories of our love fading with every incarnation… the constant searching, the fighting… I am done."

"You can't give up, Mama."

"Since she cannot remember the promise we made when she was still my Courage, I made a new promise to her before I strangled the life out of her." Love's grin turned into a serene smile. "I promise I would come after her time and time again... I will no longer lose my dragon to Wisdom or any other being. I will make sure of that."

"Mama this is wrong and you know it!" Love lunged at her daughter in an animalistic frenzy, her hands still slick with blood. "Hn," Olivie held her breath as the nauseous smell rammed into her. "Grk!"

"What do you know child!" The immortal's voice seethed with hatred as she coiled her fingers around Olivie's neck. The draconic girl struggled against her mother's death grip, but the more she struggled the tighter Love squeezed. "You're just like that arrogant beast! All you think of is the 'good' this world has to offer and the best in people. You two are so alike, you truly are her daughter."

"M-Mama," Olivie coughed desperately trying not to let anymore air escape her lungs, "I c-can't bre-breathe."

"Well neither can I," Love glared at her daughter, her grip loosening as tears began dripping down her daughter's eyes. "Courage was the air I breathed, the very reason I lived. She died because of you; if you hadn't been born she'd still be here with me!"

Love wanted to snap the girl's neck and be rid of the whining nuisance once and for all. Olivie's heterochromatic eyes hazed over as the last ounce of air left her lungs. This would be the second child she killed tonight, the infant dragon's reincarnation and her own... daughter. The word left a bittersweet taste in Love's mouth.

"Mama..."

She looked just like Courage. Her eyes, her nose and ears, her face, lips, and smile, they all belonged to her lover. This girl was their flesh and blood, a smiling little angel they created with every ounce of love they held in their hearts.

"Olivie... I... I'm so sorry."

Retracting her hands, Love stood up slowly, her balance a little shaken. She then left the room wordlessly leaving Olivie breathless, distraught and confused. Everything that transpired had been a lot to take in, but what she had to do was clear. Her mother had murdered out of love, and Olivie understood why. She knew what her mission in life was now to protect the Great Dragon.

"I must become the new embodiment of love and unite what was once impossible to bring together," Olivie whispered her resolve, her heart still racing. "I will protect your happiness, Mama."

Closing her eyes for a brief moment, Olivie saw a flash of the other woman's face and screamed. The memory of her mother's face smeared with blood had ingrained itself into her mind. The deranged smile and aloof stare signalled that her mother's sanity had disappeared.

The biggest surprise was held in her eyes.

Love's phthalate blue eyes were no longer calm and understanding, but were now representative of her blood lust—a bone chilling shade of rosewood.

The gentle mother was no longer there.


	5. Arc 1: 4

**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

******Arc 1: The Heart of Courage: The Dragon's Legacy**

* * *

219,500 Years Later

* * *

The village was in ruins, many were injured or dead. The living scrambled around trying to escape, but wherever they ran to they would stumble into the White Devil's unperturbed gaze. She walked around calmly, lacerating and impaling people with her spear like staff whenever they crossed her path. She did not intend to cause such mayhem, but with the Great Dragon's current incarnation being so elusive she couldn't spare a single soul. The crafty beast had eluded her for so long she was beginning to grow impatient.

"Come out; come out wherever you are Courage. I know you're in this village." The devil shouted out in a sing-song voice. "The sooner you reveal yourself, the sooner these people can stop suffering."

Agonized screams rang throughout the town as Love continued her indiscriminate massacre.

"White Devil, halt!" shouted a man wearing military armor. He stood in front of a large group of men wearing the same uniform. "Under order of the TSAB you are under arrest!"

"Under arrest… **me**? Are you sure about that?" Love chuckled cynically. "Have you forgotten who you are speaking to? Your precious 'TSAB' was created by my beloved dragon."

"Then please desists your actions and come with us peacefully. If you hold any respect for the Great Dragon's memory you will not fight us."

"Tch," Love scowled, her patience wearing thin. "Don't you dare use Courage's memory to detain me, cur. Raising heart…"

**[Ready my master.]**

"Divine bu-" From her peripheral, Love caught sight of long silky blonde hair disappearing behind a tattered, rundown building. "Olivie?" Turning her attention back to the army men, Love said, "Flee humans, I shall spare your lives today. Be grateful."

"Y-You're retreating?"

Love smiled at the soldier sweetly and aimed her weapon. "You should have left when I told you to."

The soldiers began to run away at the sight of the glowing pink orb at the tip of the golden spear head.

"Bye bye," Love giggled as she braced herself for the recoil of her attack.

The pink orb shot out forming a large beam that blazed a trail straight through the village and into the lake nearby. The soldiers who got caught in the beam died instantly, their remains disintegrating and leaving nothing behind. The blast had been so powerful it had pushed Love back a foot away from her original position, her feet digging into the dirt.

Waiting for anymore disturbances, Love smiled at her handiwork. The scar she left on the earth was still sizzling delightfully. Seeing that all the people in the immediate vicinity had felt, Love shot up into the sky and flew off into the direction she had spotted the familiar blonde hair of her estranged daughter.

It wasn't hard to find the girl; it disappointed her to be honest. She expected Olivie to be much more swift and agile than that.

"Stop, let go of me! My mama, papa and my sister! Stop, I can't leave them behind!"

"You need to be quiet or else _she'll_ hear you," Olivie growled impatiently, her grip on the small child tightening.

"Too late for that, my little chickadee," Love chuckled as she saw her daughter stiffen in fear. "Now what do you have there, Olivie?"

"Don't do this, mother…"

Landing on the ground, Love aimed her weapon at the duragojyn and the child she carried. "This may not kill you, but the child will surely perish."

A bolt of lightning crashed down between the two immortals forcing them both to jump back to avoid it.

"White Devil, turn around! Your opponent shall be me."

Looking back, Love saw a woman with long mauve hair and fierce violet eyes. "Oh, and you might you be?"

"Precia," she said in a commanding voice. "And I will not allow you to lay a single hand on my precious daughter."

"Mama!" the little girl cried out with her arms outstretched in desperation, "Mama!"

Hearing the girl's cries, Precia shot a tender gaze at her saying, "Fate, be a good girl."

Olivie struggled to contain the girl in her arms, "Come on kid, you heard your mama; be a good girl."

"But Papa, Mama and Alicia… why not them, too?!" Fate screamed struggling with the stranger's reasoning.

"Hatchling, take her away while you can. I shall distract this wretched beast."

"Eh? What makes you think you can play with me long enough to let my baby girl run off with yours?" Love burst out into laughter and turned to face Precia, her weapon still aimed towards Olivie. "Very well, give it your best shot. I'll even give you a handicap, I won't move. Does that sound fair, human?"

"Don't underestimate me demon," Precia spat. "A mother's protective instinct is stronger than you understand."

Entertained by the long haired woman's words, Love allowed herself to relax. The goddess allowed herself a brief moment to smile; it had been quite a while since someone actually stood their ground against her without losing control of certain bodily functions.

"What are you staring at?"

"I'm staring at one gusty woman thinking she can take down a God."

"You stopped being a God the moment you lost your humanity," Precia readied herself for combat; she knew she would perish but at least her death would not be meaningless. Even if she could only buy a minute extra, it would have been more than enough time for the dragon to bring Fate to safety.

"Know your place human," Growing tired of Precia's incessant mocking of her status, Love's face turned sour. "I'm going to make this even easier for you sound good?" Covering her eyes with her free hand, the blood stained maiden cracked an eerie grin. "Oh no I cannot see, whatever shall I do?"

Summoning her powers once more, the dark haired magician slammed the demon with three consecutive lightning bolts. Precia couldn't hold back the grin on her face as Love lurched forward after the last bolt had struck.

Fate watched helplessly as her mother took on the most fearsome being on Mid-Childa alone. The tears rolling down her cheeks refused to stop, thoughts of never being able to see her mother ever again had begun to take its brutal tone on her young heart. Unable risk the child's safety, the draconic girl bowed in respect before taking the chance Precia opened up.

Olivie's powerful legs spun her around and pushed her forward, freedom was only a few steps away!

**[Bind.]**

Several bright rings of magic encircled Olivie's frame sending her crashing into the mud rendering her incapable of even the slightest of movement, the more she struggled the tighter the rings got. Cradling the small child, the dragon fought to keep Fate from feeling any adverse affects of the binding magic. With her face down in the ground the dragon let out an angry roar.

"Damnit!" Olive cursed through gritted teeth. "Damnit, damnit, damnit!"

"Tsk, tsk dear, I thought I taught you better than that?" Love chuckled sardonically as she moved her hand down to cover her mouth to stifle out her laugh.

"Fate!" Precia glared at the sienna haired woman and cursed at her. "How can you treat your own child like this?"

"My child?"

"You're her mother aren't you?"

Faltering for a moment Love lowered Raising heart and looked closely at Olivie's cold glare. The memory of her daughter's frightened expression as she threatened to squeeze the life out of her that fateful night aeons ago flashed through her mind. It had been so long since the incident, but Love was still unable to wash herself clean of that retched event.

The guilt had never left her heart.

"That's right she's my daughter and I her mother, but I have done so many things I doubt she sees me as such."

"You're despicable, immortal. No matter what you do, no matter what you say, the love between a mother and child should be absolute." Precia's words stung, but Love knew it was far too late to reconcile with her daughter.

"Past indiscretions have made our bond brittle and weak, a little 'sorry my bad' won't bring back all the insignificant mortals I've killed to complete my quest."

"Have you tried?" The dark haired woman spat back. "Have you tried apologizing to her even once!?"

Deciding to humor the woman, Love turned to the dragon she said, "Hey Oli, I—what do you think you're doing?"

Finally breaking free of Love's binds, Olivie jumped up to the nearest building unfurling her wings in the process. She gave her mother and Precia a fleeting glance. She looked down at the blood stained angel and thought she saw her mother's gentle blue eyes, but after rubbing her eyes in disbelief, she looked down once more and saw they were the same pained crimson orbs that had haunted her nightmares for so long.

"Fate, be a good girl for me please?" Precia beseeched just as the young dragon flew off.

"Mama!"

Love didn't budge, she stood as still as a statue and refused to speak. Precia had said something just now that made her rethink some of her methods. It was true that she had hurt Olivie both emotionally and physically in the past, it was her own fault really. The silly girl interfered every time she went out in search of the dragon's reincarnation; a scuffle was to be expected between the two immortals. Though sometimes she would feel too lazy to fight and they would stand around in a stalemate arguing until Olivie's mismatched eyes would start to tear up and Love would retreat for the day.

She still hated her daughter for ruining her life, but she couldn't find it in herself to kill the girl. If it had been any of her other children Love would hold no remorse over the cruel act, but Olivie was special… she was her first born and the shining light in Courage's eyes.

Unable to sense Olivie's presence the goddess asked with a dull tone, "Now where were we, Precia?"

"I was about to send you into oblivion," Precia replied, her weapon pointed menacingly towards Love. "You attacked my children do you honestly believe I'll allow you to live?"

"Let me say one thing to you before I forget," The mocking grin Love flashed the violet eyed woman angered her greatly.

Glaring at the cold blooded murderer before her, Precia steadied herself for what was to come.

"Say what you will, devil."

"_Goodbye_."

* * *

**End of Arc 1  
**


	6. Arc 2 : Chapter 1 part 1

**The Railgun: **And thus concludes the first arc, **Arc 1: The Heart of Courage: The Dragon's Legacy**… which was initially the prologue but it got too fat. Let's usher in the beginning of **Arc 2: Wisdom's Guidance: The Legendary Knight Rests** with a ridiculously long A/N!

I'd like to take a moment to thank the reviewers for their input and praise, as the acting head of this story I've taken the time to read through each one very carefully. I know the way we're going about this story's updates a little oddly compared to most, but it really is for the best. The chapter break up is mostly for convenience and editing purposes. No one wants to sit through a 16k document and risk having to reread it if something unfortunate happens. And no one wants to edit a 16k document in one sitting. So I hope people understand what we're trying to do here, so please bear with us.

* * *

**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

******Arc 2: Wisdom's Guidance: The Legendary Knight Rests**

* * *

**I**

**Part 1 of 4**

Birth of Resolve: The Ancient Dream Awakens

* * *

Long golden strands of silk that glistened magnificently under any light framed the face of an innocent angel devoid of all sin and desire. Her skin was a delicate alabaster without any visible flaws or shortcomings. Her cheeks were always graced with a light blush whose sole purpose was to prove that such a crowning being was indeed human, but with skin so fair her lips stood out and became a focal point. They were a beautiful shade of amaranth that were glossed over with what I could vaguely tell was strawberry lip gloss. And whenever flowers became the topic of conversation they would curl up into a delightful smile that revealed her ivory teeth that were perfectly aligned. However, what really enamoured you to her were her navy blue eyes that were so deep if you delved into them you would surely drown in all their splendour and wisdom. Knight Carim Gracia was indeed a goddess among unworthy mortals, which is why I feel so humbled to be under her care. How could such an unworthy and ordinary girl like myself be so lucky to receive a guardian so wonderful to watch over me?

The Goddess Wisdom is definitely watching over me granting such luck.

My name is Fate, last name is currently unknown, and I am an orphan living under the protection of the Saint Church. The exact details about me are a little hazy due to the amnesia; the nuns at the Church said I had hit my head rather hard a few days after my arrival. I had apparently been in a panic about meeting my new legal guardian and ran face first into a marble pillar. The crack I had caused during the impact is still there and serves as a reminder for other children to avoid running in the Church halls. It was a rather embarrassing but humbling honor really. I just wished the nuns would stop giggling whenever they brought the story up. Had I only known that it would have been the kind young woman who stayed with me that first terrifying night in the Church, I probably would still have my memories intact.

The person who brought me in told the nuns my family had been lost the night the North Star appeared and they didn't know if I had any other relatives. I don't remember what happened exactly back then, I was so young when it happened, but when I sleep at night I see images flash by sometimes of a woman in white with sad, lonely blue eyes. The image was always blurred and her face unclear, but I could feel in my heart she was yearning for something or rather for someone.

I have known Carim for almost a year and have lived with her for five months, but even though we're always in such close proximity I didn't know much about her. Every day I learn something new and slowly but surely I'll be able to piece together the puzzle that is my guardian.

"Fate-chan," Carim called out to me, her voice sounding sweeter than honey. "I'll be in the back doing a bit of paperwork, would you mind the store for me?"

I lifted my head out of the bushes and replied with a wide grin, "Sure thing Carim-san, just call me if you need some help."

Carim smiled at me and nodded her head in approval, I watched her disappear into the back and waited a moment in hopes she would pop back out with something else to say. The moment had passed all too quickly and with no further conversation occurring between me and my guardian, I returned to my task of pruning the shrubs I painstakingly maintained to keep myself busy during the slow hours of the day. I quickly lost track of time as I engrossed myself with my favourite chore in all of the shop's duties.

I could do this forever… working alongside Carim without a care in the world.

This was heaven.

A cheerful chime rang throughout the store signalling a customer had walked in. I quickly relinquished my pruning shears removing my work gloves at the same time and dashed towards the front desk. On the way I did my best to brush off the leafy remnants of my prior task to look presentable to the customer. When I got to the till, I saw a young couple browsing around the premium bouquets section. I eyed them carefully to see whether or not they were big spenders or just time wasters.

The young man was fairly handsome with jet black hair styled back with a single curled forelock dangling before his left eye. He wore fashionable rectangular glasses that framed gentle forest green eyes perfectly. He appeared to be an aristocrat with the clothes he wore. His girlfriend on the other hand seemed to be a mere commoner. She was tall, tanned and blonde; her voice grated on your ears and her face left much to be desired. I wondered why such a good looking man was doing with such a troll. Quickly catching on with my train of thought I reprimanded myself for thinking such horrid things. Love knows no boundaries and apparently it doesn't have any tastes either.

Oh dear there I go again…

"Hello, welcome to the Saint Church Flower shop," I spoke up with a warm tone, "how may I help you today?"

The girlfriend gave me an odd look and pointed at my head, she looked to be on the verge of laughter. I gave her my own questioning look and wondered why the silent patron was pointing. As far as I knew my uniform was impeccable, not a wrinkle in sight. I didn't have any dirt smudges on my face or my hands, I had a few smears on my apron but that was expected. So why was this lady laughing?

"You guys take your jobs really seriously here, huh?" she said with a taunting grin, her finger still pointing.

"E-Excuse me?"

The customer giggled obnoxiously and leaned into her boyfriend's embrace. "Come on Toby, let's get out of here. Saint Church shops are always so overpriced; we can go to a different one."

"But Jasmine, we need to buy a present for your mother! And this is my favourite flower shop in town, sure it's a little pricier than most other florists but all profits are sent to their orphanages." The boyfriend known affectionately as 'Toby' reprimanded his childish girlfriend and sighed when she crossed her arms and huffed.

"I don't see why you want to bother, a flower is a flower!"

"A Saint Church flower isn't just some flower you can pick off the ground or buy from a grocery store," Toby looked around him and took in a deep breath. "The flowers and plants grown here are made with love and care. They're quality over quantity, love."

"Fine you win, hurry up and buy your stupid flowers."

He turned his eyes over to me with an intensity I had only ever seen in movies, I inwardly blushed and shrunk back. "Please forgive her, she usually isn't like this."

"Um it's no problem though I still don't understand what she found so funny."

Toby chuckled and reached out to me, I flinched and closed my eyes afraid of his touch. I felt a gentle rustling in my hair before a familiar scent drifted to my nose. I opened my eyes and saw him holding a leafed twig close to my face. He spun it around in his finger tips causing the leaf to gentle feather past my nose. Toby chuckled at me and handed the twig over promptly.

"I knew Gracia-sama loves plants, but making her charge grow them on her head is taking it a little far, don't you think?"

Another blush, "Oh, it must've gotten stuck in my hair when I was pruning Beatrix."

"Beatrix?" he asked with curiosity. I nodded my head and pointed at the dog shaped bush I was working on. "Isn't that a…?"

"Yes! I grew her myself with some seeds Carim-san gave to me when I first came here."

"But that's a…"

"I've been told I'm a bit of an eccentric, and Carim-san never said I couldn't shape it the way I wanted to." I was getting a little too excited, it happened every time someone noticed Beatrix.

"I can see Gracia-sama giving you free reign over your little pet project," Toby let out a loud as he noticed my other works of art. "You're really talented you know that?"

"T-Thank you… Carim-san says so quite often."

"And with good reason, too!"

"You were here to buy something, right? Is there anything that has caught your eye?"

"Well other than Beatrix over there I was looking for something simple yet elegant."

I took a moment to think of a list of flowers that fit his requirements and told him to follow me. Toby, who completely forgot his girlfriend's presence, followed me without complaint to a nearby refrigerator that housed a wonderful assortment of roses, lilies and carnations.

A smile graced his lips as he looked at each display, "Wow these all look amazing!"

"We just got a new shipment of red roses in not too long ago. They're still in the process of blooming, but they're simple yet elegant." I showed him our cheapest set of roses in hopes of an up sell to a pricier flower.

"Roses aren't really her thing, do you have something else?"

"I think I have something even better!" I eagerly ushered him over to Carim's favourite selection, the Amaryllis. They were twice the cost of a simple rose.

"Oh I like those!" I grinned in victory as Toby ran ahead of me to look at the selection. "These are beautiful."

"The amaryllis flower?" I asked him coyly. "These are Carim-san's favourites, we sell out of these surprisingly fast."

Looking at each color Toby couldn't contain his excitement. "I underestimated Gracia-sama's tastes, if these are her favourites I can only imagine the others she holds dear."

"Carim-san loves all the flowers and plants we have here," I informed him with pride. "There isn't a single one she will recommend over the other. We guarantee nothing but perfection in our shop."

"I really like these!" Toby grinned at me and gave me a thumbs up and proceeded to take out his rather large wallet. "I'll take sixteen of them if you don't mind."

"Okay, do you want me to pick or would you like to?"

"I think I'll let you pick, maybe if you touch them a little bit of your beauty will transfer over to them." He winked at me, no blush this time, and turned around and headed towards the till. "Oh can could you pick different colors?"

"Yes, no problem."

Shaking off the creepy feeling I received from the aristocrat, I quickly picked out the flowers and hurried to the wrapping station. I asked him what kind of paper and ribbon he would want and he told me he had no preference, so I wrapped the flowers up in the standard white paper with a blue ribbon tied around. He paid for them without hassle and went on his way with his chatty girlfriend in tow.

"Thanks for the help kiddo!"

"No problem, have a good evening."

I breathed a sigh of relief when they left. I didn't fare too well with people other than Carim. I acted friendly, but deep down inside I was terrified. I had finally found a home to call my own and I was scared someone might take it away from me. Life without Carim was something I could not bear or even imagine.

The rest of the day went by smoothly though there weren't a lot of customers, but that was okay it just meant less people for me to deal with.

"Let's close up shop for the day," Carim suggested as she cheerfully put away supplies. "We can go to the beach and watch the sunset!"

"Really?" I began to clean up at a faster pace. I loved watching the sunset with Carim; it always put my heart at ease and allowed me to bond with my guardian. "I hope we can hear the whales again."

"The whales?"

"Yeah the whales, don't you remember?"

Shaking her head, Carim put away the last of the scissors and walked over to me. "Whales don't come to Western Mid-Childa very often anymore due to the cold weather. In fact you and I weren't even born the last time the whales came down to this region."

"I could have sworn I—or maybe…" I was suddenly very confused, dumbfounded even. "Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen a whale before."

Carim eyed me with an expression that was hard to decipher, the woman was kind and understanding but she hid a lot of secrets. I didn't want to anger her, so I never pried but it didn't mean I wasn't curious. I looked into her eyes and found that the deep blue pools had frozen over. What could she be thinking?

"They say if you feel like you've done something but haven't, it's supposed to be a memory of your past life."

"A memory from a past life…" I placed my finger on my chin and pondered about it.

What kind of person was I before? Maybe I was a princess or an iguana; it'd be kind of neat to be the latter though.

"What made you think of the whales, Fate-chan?"

"I'm not all too sure," I explained. "I saw myself sitting on a hill near a beach like the one we go to. It was sunset and the whales were singing. I wasn't alone on the hill though, someone was beside me."

"Sounds like quite a romantic setting," Carim chuckled.

"E-Eh!"

"Love isn't something to be embarrassed about, Fate-chan."

"I know it isn't, but for someone like me love is impossible." I said with a frown. I hid my eyes under my bangs in shame and bit my lower lip. "I don't deserve it."

Carim walked over to me and knelt down. She draped her arms around my shoulders and pulled me into a tight embrace; I could smell her perfume. I hesitated in returning the gesture yet my arms had moved on their own accord and hugged her neck.

"Why do you think it's impossible, Fate-chan?" she asked me with genuine concern.

"No one loves me," I confessed rather selfishly knowing how Carim felt about me. "My blood family abandoned me; I must have been a bad girl…"

"Oh dear," Carim held onto me tighter. "That's not true, Fate-chan. You are a very good girl and your family loved you to pieces, they just can't be here with you right now."

"I know they can't be with me, but I can't shake the feeling that they're out there somewhere… not looking for me."

"How could anyone not want to find you?" Carim gasped. "Such an amazingly talented girl like you is irreplaceable."

"Do you really think so, Carim-san?"

"Yes, I strongly believe so." The blonde haired woman placed a kiss on my forehead and said, "I love you very much Fate-chan, and even though you and I are not related by blood I think of you as family."

Snuggling into my guardian's warmth, my heart became calm.

"I love you, too, Carim-san."

I heard this speech from Carim over a hundred thousand times and I still couldn't get sick of it. I yearned to hear someone say they loved me and that I was important, not just some castaway picked up along the way home.

I was lonely, but Carim was here.

The soothing strokes through my hair filled me with glee proving just how much of I child I still was. Such inexplicable joy from a simple gesture was a weakness I wanted to snuff out, but maybe as long as it was in this woman's welcoming arms I'd allow it… at least for the time being.

"Will you be with me forever?" I asked tentatively.

"Um," Carim looked at me with shock on her face, momentarily stunned. "I cannot promise you that we will be together forever, Fate-chan. Circumstances will change without a doubt and you will want to spread your own wings and fly away, but always keep in mind that you and I are connected by a very special bond. No matter how faraway you are from me I will always be with you and you with me. You may not understand this now, but you and I are one in the same in more ways than you can ever imagine."

She was right; I didn't understand what she said.

"We're the same? How can that be, you're being silly again Carim-san. There's no way you and I could be similar."

"I was an orphan, too, so I understand how you feel, Fate-chan."

"You were?" I stand corrected; this woman surprised me yet again.

"Mhm, I had lost my parents to a terrible accident and I grew up in an orphanage in Northern Mid-Childa."

Carim and I have been together for a very long time, she helped rebuild my life from scratch, but I knew little to nothing about her personal life other than her sexual preference, love for music and her inability to cook without causing some sort of fire or mishap.

I wanted to ask her why I wasn't living there with the other orphans, but I had already asked so many questions it felt inappropriate to ask more. I'll have to ask her about it later on though.

"The past is something we should remember, but never hold onto. This world is constantly moving and so should we."

"But what happens when you don't have a past to look back on?"

Carim grinned at me and said, "That's even better because you can hold your head up high and live in the moment of things!"

"Live in the moment…"

"Now since we're all cleaned up and everything has been settled, why don't we head down to the beach?"

"Un!"

Carim stood up her full height astounding me; I reached up to her shins at best. I wanted to be tall like her maybe even taller when I grew up. Right now I was small, smaller than all the other children I see running around the streets of Diam. I would often get picked on for my diminutive stature and tears would prick my eyes, but Carim always came to the rescue before I cried and had the children apologize to me. Their words where half-hearted and meaningless, as expected from children who got caught doing something naughty.

I'm sure I'll be tall like Carim one day.

After double checking everything in the store to make sure nothing had been forgotten or left out, I ran back to Carim's side and waited for her to fish the shop's keys out of her messy, overstuffed drawer. I couldn't help but laugh at how disorganized she was.

"What are you laughing at, Fate-chan?" Carim pouted cutely.

"You're so silly, Carim-san, you should let me clean that drawer for you one of these days."

"Are you saying I'm messy?"

"Possibly." Looking down at the drawer, Carim grimaced. What I said was true and she was in fact messy. "If someone had just met you they would think you were so organized because everything is clean, but once they get to know you that whole thing goes down the drain."

"That was a little harsh even for you, Fate-chan." Carim whimpered, her lip quivering.

"It needed to be said," I replied remorselessly.

"Ahaha, I guess you're right but this is our little secret."

"Understood."

Carim eventually found the keys to the shop with my help. They weren't in the drawer, but rather hanging on a little hook near the office marked specifically 'Keys Only'. The older woman felt embarrassed for her little mistake and offered to treat me to some ice-cream if I forgot what had happened. I eagerly accepted the bribe.

"Don't you ever speak of this again." She muttered underneath her breath. "Don't even think about it, missy."

"I won't, I won't."

Narrowing her eyes, Carim made an 'I'm watching you' gesture. My guardian was a really silly woman getting so riled up after misplacing her keys.

"Am I still getting that ice-cream?"

"Of course, I want some too."

There was a very popular ice-cream parlour named Gemini Twist a two blocks away from where the flower shop was located. They were well known for their unique flavours which were all delicious in their own right and the process they made the ice-cream with. All the ice-cream was made daily with fresh milk and all natural ingredients. Children flocked to it every day accompanied by their mothers who were happy that their children were at least getting some form of milk into their bodies, sugar or no sugar they didn't care. I could never figure out why children didn't like drinking milk, I loved it personally and loved it even more then it was warmed up. Carim took me there often as a treat for my good behaviour, but I think she uses me as an excuse to go there herself. We go at least once a week or twice if Carim decides to cave into her sweet tooth, there was actually a time when we went every day but that was because Carim's lover had insisted on it.

"Are you going to get your usual, Fate-chan?" Carim asked me, her hand holding tightly onto mine.

I nodded my head.

"Not going to try something new?"

"It doesn't feel right picking something other than vanilla and blueberry."

"You're a creature of habit my dear, just like yours truly." Carim said with a bright smile. "But don't let what you're used to hold you back from exploring and trying new things."

"I won't Carim-san, but blue and white… I can't seem to get passed it."

"Hm…"

"'Hm' what?"

Carim gave me another one of her indecipherable gazes. What did I do now to invoke such a stare? Was it something I said or maybe something I did? Maybe I was rude just now without noticing, oh no…


	7. Arc 2 : Chapter 1 part 2

**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

******Arc 2: Wisdom's Guidance: The Legendary Knight Rests**

* * *

**I**

**Part 2 of 4**

Birth of Resolve: The Ancient Dream Awakens

* * *

"C-Carim-san, did I do something wrong?"

"Huh?" the older woman blinked and shook her head. "No, now why would you say such a thing, darling?"

"You were giving me this strange look just now."

"I was?" I nodded tentatively. "Oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to, you know me always getting distracted, tee hee."

My guardian was a lot of things but easily distracted was not one of them.

"Alright," I said accepting the lie.

Carim's grip on my hand tightened ever so slightly, something was on her mind. Something I would never find out.

"I'm so excited; I'm going to get strawberry or maybe chocolate… maybe both!" she suddenly shouted.

"Oh boy…"

"Don't 'oh boy' me young lady!"

I laughed nervously wishing she had not heard me just now. "I'm sorry, it's just you get the same thing every time, too."

"I do?"

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes you do, now stop denying it."

"No, I don't times infinity!"

"Why am I getting the 'try something new' speech when you've been doing the same?" I asked my guardian rather rudely. I felt bad for talking back, but something in the back of my head always told me to fight back when I felt something amiss. It was a strange voice that was very faint but clear at the same time.

"You're rather feisty today, my little chickadee."

That word just now I've heard it before on many occasions, it was one of Carim's favourite pet names for me, but it hearing it always made me feel queasy. There was no reason for me to feel this way about a word so I never told Carim. It's difficult though, keeping this a secret. Just hearing the word 'chickadee' made me want to lurch forward and throw up.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize, Fate-chan. I'm happy you're biting back, never be afraid to question and stand up for yourself." The blonde haired knight always found some way to pass off my rude behaviour as a life lesson. Honestly I think she's just encouraging me to rebel one of these days.

"You're going to regret telling me that one day," I laughed.

"How so?"

"Who's the one raising me?" she pointed to herself. "Who'll be the one to put up with me when I'm a rowdy, good for nothing teenager?"

Realization dawned upon her.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no! Fate-chan you will do no such thing, you shall bow down to my will and give me foot rubs when you're a teenager!"

"Eh? No way!"

"Yes way!"

"I refuse! That's child cruelty, Carim-san."

"It is?" she feigned innocence. "Oopies."

I don't understand this woman. She looks so put together, composed and reliable then goes and says something like that! How such a person became a Knight to begin with baffles me to this day.

The ice-cream parlour was in sight and as usual it was filled with people of all shapes and sizes.

"Wow look at that crowd," Carim turned her attention to me and asked, "Are you sure you're going to be okay being around that many people?"

"U-Um… aahh…" I didn't know what to say.

"You only want vanilla and blueberry right, dear?" I nodded my head unable to speak. "Then why don't you go find somewhere close by to sit down and wait for me. Make sure you can see the parlour though okay? I don't want to lose you."

"Thank you, Carim-san."

I followed her to the door of the shop and let go of her hand. She gave me a comforting smile before disappearing behind the door. Anxiety quickly took over me without my guardian's calming presence to keep me in check. Remembering Carim's request I looked around for a place to sit down, luckily one of the patio chairs that belonged to the parlour was free, I took the seat without hesitation knowing someone else would take it if I didn't move quickly. Although it was still a little too close to the crowd within, Carim's request had been fulfilled.

Now to sit here and wait for her.

Carim hadn't been gone for more than five minutes before trouble arose.

"Well look who it is! It's our favourite midget." A neighbourhood boy pointed out. I froze immediately and looked up at him. He leered down at me with his chocolate ice-cream cone in hand; a glob of it had fallen onto his shirt unnoticed. "What are you doing here shorty, waiting for your mommy?"

"…" He knew full well I had no 'mommy' to wait for.

"Amuro, don't pick on her too much. Don't you remember what happened last time?" the boy's friend said with a hiss. I remembered him from the last time I had been bullied; Carim picked him up by his ear.

"Can it, Tristan."

"…"

"What happened last time?" another boy beside Amuro asked eagerly.

"This kid's big-boobed babysitter caught us teasing her a few days ago," replied Tristan snickering like a fool. "She nearly yanked my ear off."

"Yikes sounds rough," the boy said with a wince.

Amuro walked up to me grinning while licking his ice-cream. I continued to look up at him watching silently. "So why are you sitting here all alone orphan, did that giant leave you, too? She probably did, didn't she? Ugly girl like you shouldn't be around such a pretty lady in the first place."

I glared at him, my silence broken. "Walk away, Amuro-san. I don't want any trouble."

"Eh? Standing up for yourself now are ya'?" Amuro chuckled, his friends joined in shortly after. "You're nothing you know that? You're our age and yet you're as small as a baby—which you are! A stupid little baby, wah-wah-wah!"

"…" I bit my lower lip holding back the fury I felt.

"Aw is baby not going to say anything?"

"Yeah baby, not going to say anything?"

Amuro looked over to the nameless boy and snarled, "Stop copying me!"

"Please stop, I haven't done anything to you…"

"Did you hear that guys? She's begging for mercy! What a weakling." The three boys burst out into laughter, their wee little testosterone filled brains believing what Amuro had said was tremendously amusing. "The baby looks like she's about to cry!"

What do they know?

"Come on Amuro; let's leave before we get caught again!" Tristan begged. "We had our fun already."

"No, no, I have one last thing I want to do." Amuro drummed his sticky fingers on the cone, his eyes darting between myself and the sweet treat. "Do you like chocolate ice-cream?"

I shrunk back trying to add even a smidgeon of distance between myself and the abusive boy. "It's an alright flavour, too sweet for my tastes but I still enjoy it on occasion."

"Hey, what are you doing…?" the other two boys asked.

"That's just great!" He brought his cone up into the air and aimed it at me. "Why don't you have some then, I'm willing to share!"

The ice-cream crashed onto my head, the cone had been crushed in the process leaving bits and pieces tangled in my hair with the creamy confection. A chill ran up my spine as a droplet of ice-cream rolled down my cheek. I wanted to cry and runaway but Carim told me to sit and wait for her. The boys' laughter rang loudly in my ears, never before have I been so humiliated in my life.

I hate this boy.

I hate this town.

I hate the people in it.

And I hate myself for being so weak I let it happen.

"Please leave me alone…" I begged refusing to cry over this.

Amuro's hand reached out to me his chubby fingers burying down into my hair, his nails scraping my scalp. He rubbed the ice-cream in and continued his haughty laughter. I shut my eyes tightly and tried to block out the sensation of being touched.

Why won't they leave me alone? Carim-san…

"Hands off of the young lady," a familiar voice growled behind Amuro.

I heard all three boys yelp in unison.

The hand on my head retreated abruptly yanking a few strands of hair out. I opened my eyes and saw ice-creams, with cones intact, on top of both Tristan's and Amuro's heads with my grinning guardian standing proudly behind them.

"Carim-san?" I murmured in disbelief.

"What'cha do that for!" Amuro raged.

He lunched towards the woman only to be stopped by her index finger. He struggled against it for a few seconds before falling back down; I was rather surprised to see how the blonde haired woman handled the situation.

"Amuro I told you we should've scrammed out of here!" Tristan groaned shivering from the melting ice-cream.

"H-Hey guys, I think we should go…" the nameless one whimpered.

"Why?" Amuro roared his teeth tightly clenched.

"That lady's a Saint Church Knight," he said. "And why the looks of her uniform I'd say a high ranking one at that."

"Right you are kiddo," my guardian said, her grin growing ever lager. "Knight Carim Gracia, and this girl you and your friends are bullying is my charge, a _very_ important person to _both_ the TSAB and the Church. I would really hate to see what would happen to you three if either party found out you were bullying her let alone what would happen if both found out."

"P-Please forgive me Knight Gracia," the nameless boy stuttered in shame. "I didn't know better and it won't happen again, I promise!"

"Get out of here, you didn't do anything but laugh." Carim's eyes steeled over when she turned to my bullies. "These two on the other hand…"

I watched in awe as Carim struck fear into the boys' hearts.

What would I have to do to become so strong?

Carim walked up to both Amuro and Tristan, her smile sweeter than cotton candy. "I thought I warned you boys about picking on my adorable Fate-chan." Tristan's eyes widened in fear his hands shooting up to his head to protect his ears. "Oh this one remembers… but what about you, pudgy?

"Tch, let's get out of here…"

Blocking their way, Carim knelt down to their eye level and placed a hand on their shoulders. The boys flinched in pain as Carim's grip tightened.

I really didn't want to be them.

"If I see you two near my charge ever again I will be doing much more grievous than what I did today." The voice Carim spoke with scared me a little, but I felt empowered by it also. This was a new side to the enigmatic knight and I found myself admiring her even more.

"G-Gotcha!" both boys struggled to free themselves from Carim's grasp. "Can we go now please?"

"No, not until you apologize to my precious Fate-chan."

I could have done without hearing her call me her 'precious Fate-chan' though.

"I'm sorry for teasing you, Fate." Tristan apologized, his words somewhat sincere. "I won't ever do it again, I promise."

"Good boy," Carim said releasing the boy. He ran off without a second thought leaving Amuro behind. "It's your turn now young man."

Puffing out his cheeks Amuro did his best to say sorry, "Sorry 'bout the ice-cream in your hair and the name calling, I won't do it again. And you're not ugly; you're kind of cute… but not really!"

Carim let him go deciding she had embarrassed him enough for one day. She walked over to me with a napkin she kept in her pocket. Wiping away the chocolate from my face, Carim put up a stoic facade.

"Carim-san?"

"…"

"I'm sorry about what happened. I should have been stronger and—" Carim surprised me by with a sudden hug. "Aa, your hair Carim-san, the ice-cream might get on you!"

"I'm so sorry, Fate-chan."

"Huh?"

"This is my entire fault; I never should have left you alone."

Something dripped on my shoulder.

Tears?

"Carim-san?" I returned the embrace and sighed. "Please don't cry."

"My one purpose is to protect you and yet I've somehow failed that. My kind Fate-chan has been bullied and I could do nothing."

"You stopped it though!"

"That isn't good enough for me, Fate-chan."

"It is for me." I pushed Carim forward to face my guardian. I couldn't say I was surprised when I saw her whimpering like a child. "We can keep going around in circles and blame ourselves, but let's just drop it and enjoy the rest of our night together."

"You're so mature, Fate-chan."

"I have a very good teacher," I answered patting her on the head.

Carim picked me up and carried me home, both the ice-cream and the beach forgotten. I realized something as Carim walked, it wasn't a big shock or an epiphany it was just a passing thought. Carim wasn't all that much older than me; she was only in her late teens. She had always taken such good care of me I sometimes forget that fact.

I never questioned it before, mostly because I was scared to know the answer, but why was she put in charge of my upbringing? The orphanages Carim spoke of before would have been a more appropriate place for me to grow up in. Why have a highly trained Knight raise an orphan, it didn't make any sense whatsoever. A sister or even a desk jockey would have been a better, more cost efficient, choice than having someone as highly decorated as Carim work with me. Did I really need that extra protection? Was my life to the Church that important?

Was there more to me than I've been led to believe?

So many questions so little time. What was the Church really after?

I have the courage to ask.

I know I do.

The Saint Church gave me a special room in the Knights' quarters next to my guardian's. I wasn't allowed to interact with anyone but her, so I was locked away from the world without further reason. Carim told me it was for my own protection so I never questioned it, but through my tiny, barred window I could see children of all ages running around playing with each other during the day. I wanted to be out there too, but the bars lining my window caged me in.

For five whole months my days consisted of staring up at the ceiling trying to remember my past. The only human interaction I received where the ten to thirty minutes Carim spent with me during meals, bath time and the few hours she had after work before lights out. I was thankful for the extra time she put in to spend with me, her visits were the only thing keeping me going throughout the day. She went out of her way to see me despite being ordered to keep all visitations within a minimum of forty minutes a day.

As I became more aware of the world around me, I began questioning the reasons I was given. Why was I the only one trapped inside? Why was Carim the only person I could see? Who am I? What am I? Question after question would pop up in my head, but Carim's smiling face made me change my mind and stifle my voice. I was scared if I asked too many questions she'd come to hate me.

I still think she will.

"Carim-san, can I ask you a question? It's a little silly though," Carim quirked an eyebrow signalling I had her attention. "Why aren't I in an orphanage?"

"Because you're a very special little girl, Fate-chan." Was her answer but I found it a little hard to believe.

"Is there a reason why I'm being raised by you?"

"There is actually," Carim said, her face wearing the indecipherable mask. "But I can't reveal that answer to you just yet."

"Oh…"

"It isn't that I'm keeping secrets from you," she added with a rueful sigh. "Right now if I told you the truth you would probably be scared."

"Why would I be scared, is the truth that bad?"

Shaking her head, Carim ruffled my hair. "All I can tell you for now is that you my dear are a very special little girl. And please don't take this the wrong way, but as a Knight of the Saint Church it is my duty to protect you and raise you on the path of righteousness."

I already knew what she was going to say, but my childish heart still wanted to hear it. "So is being with me just a job to you?"

"Making sure nothing bad ever happens to you is my job," The stoic expression on Carim melted away revealing a warm smile. "But being with you is a privilege. A privilege I will never take for granted."

"I… I don't know what to say…"

"No words are needed my dear, I can tell just by looking into your eyes."

"Really?"

A melodic chuckle graced my ears as Carim nuzzled her nose into the nape of my neck. "I thank the Goddess Wisdom for blessing me with you."

Carim's words reassured me that my presence was something more than just a mission given to her by the church or the TSAB. She made me feel loved and appreciated even though I couldn't offer her anything in return.

I was truly happy.

"Say Fate-chan, after we get home and get you all cleaned up would you like to play with me?" Carim's simple request tripled my elation. "Judging by the smile on your face I'll take that as a yes."

"Un!"

"Let's go full speed then!" Carim put me down and winked. "First one home gets the last slice of apple pie."

"On your mark."

"Get set."

"Go!" we shouted out together in unison.

I sped off like a bullet leaving a stunned Carim Gracia behind my wake.

That apple pie was mine… or so I thought.


	8. Arc 2 : Chapter 1 part 3

**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

******Arc 2: Wisdom's Guidance: The Legendary Knight Rests**

* * *

**I**

**Part 3 of 4**

Birth of Resolve: The Ancient Dream Awakens

* * *

Carim came out of nowhere, her hands behind her back smiling as usual. Speed was the only aspect of myself I had confidence in, it was something Carim passed down to me during her tutelage. No one could keep up with me—other than Carim, no surprise there. She ran beside me effortlessly, almost as if she was gliding through the air. I was running alongside Knight Carim Gracia, the Golden Wolf as an equal. She said it was an honor to be by my side, but I disagree. I'm the one who's humbled here, my guardian was the fastest Knight ever recorded and here I was running beside her like it was an ordinary thing.

I was mystified by my enigmatic guardian; we ran home often placing little bets with rewards. I usually won with a huffing and puffing woman running sluggishly behind me, but I guess Carim was letting me win all this time. I wasn't all too bothered by it seeing as how those flawless victories against her had given me the courage to keep running and to keep pushing my body, despite its small frame, to break through the limits.

"Is that as fast as you can go, Fate-chan?" Carim asked me, a flicker of her former self glowing in her eyes.

"No," I replied breathing heavily. "How fast can you go?"

"Hm, I wonder that too. We should go find out!"

A sinister glint twinkled in her eyes; I regretted asking that question immediately. Carim got serious about the race and ran ahead of me with ease. She sped off like a bullet leaving me in the dust. I had already been running at full speed, my chest hurt, my legs ached and it was getting hard to breathe. Carim was truly amazing; I wondered what other talents she was hiding from me.

Carim had won the race by a landslide victory; I couldn't keep up with her. Half a block away from home I ran out of energy and walked the rest of the way. I saw Carim sitting on the steps to our apartment building, her chin resting in the palm of her hand. She waved over to me and called my name, I immediately ran towards her.

"That was fun wasn't it?"

"You're amazing, Carim-san!" I blurted out accidentally. I slapped my hands onto my mouth and blushed; I didn't mean to say it like that. "I-I um…"

"This old girl still has a lot of tricks left in her," she chuckled flexing her left arm.

"What other secrets are you hiding from me?"

Carim's cheerful laughter continued my question had been ignored. "You're all sticky and sweaty Fate-chan, I'll draw you a bath."

As usual Carim evaded my question.

Taking my hand into hers, Carim pulled out the key to the apartment and inserted it into the doorknob. We climbed up the staircase careful not to make too much noise, it was an old building filled with even older people. Carim had been scolded by the landlady for running up and down the stairs, but in truth I was the one making the nose, I was so fascinated by the stairs I couldn't contain myself. She had taken the blame for me and didn't say anything about it, since then I've been careful.

The apartment Carim and I shared was a small single bedroom suite. It was plain and a little under furnished but it was home to the both of us. The Church gave us money to outfit our little home and make it a little cheerier, but Carim and I didn't need fancy things to be happy. We had each other and that was more than enough. So instead of buying things for our home we bought something for ourselves, a second hand piano for Carim and a violin for me. Luckily the suite we lived in was a well fortified and blocked out a lot of the noise we made.

Carim taught me how to play basic melodies on the violin and I quickly grew to love it. The piano on the other was rather difficult to pick up. The first few days after we bought the instruments, Carim did her best to teach me, but my hands were too uncoordinated to work the keyboard. She blamed it on my small stature; I knew better though and saw through her lie.

The walls were an off eggshell white with several paintings hanging, all of which were presents from Carim's sweetheart. There were no chairs other than the three at the dining table and the piano bench. The kitchen only had the bare necessities a stove with a built in oven and a fridge, a few forks and spoons with a set of knives. We only had four plates and three drinking glasses, I wondered why we had such oddly numbered amenities but I was scared to ask. The bathroom was no different. It contained four things: a bathtub, a sink with a mirrored cabinet, and a toilet. Carim converted the bedroom into her personal office, so we slept in the living room. She told me to never venture through the door without permission and I never did.

I asked Carim if she had lived on her own before and she told me she had lived in the church convent prior to my arrival, she said it was a bit of a hassle being surrounded by all the grumpy old ladies especially when trying to sneak some alone time with her lover. The first time I heard this story I was worried Carim was doing something wrong, but she reassured me by saying 'I'm a Knight, not a nun'.

Living with Carim was difficult on my conscience sometimes. Running the flower shop, raising me, and keeping up with her knightly duties stressed Carim, so I tried to offer my help whenever I could. She constantly turned me down saying a child should either be out playing or studying, I didn't want to be outside so I studied my heart out.

The only source of income we had was the flower shop, it does very well profit wise but we only get to keep twenty-five percent of the net sales, which wasn't very much if you're trying to raise a child. We live on a day to day basis, but my guardian never allows it to hamper our lives together. I can see the struggles on Carim's face whenever she works on the budget, I wished there was something I could do to make her life easier. Carim says her duty as my guardian is to provide me with a stable home, good mental stimulation and love—I received that last one the most. I could practically drown in the love she gave me.

Carim gets me the best text books and study materials; another aspect of her job was to teach me. I asked Carim why I couldn't go to school with the rest of the children and she answered the way I expected her to. Since I was under the care of the Saint Church, the material I studied was of higher calibre. I was privileged. And according to her the subjects taught in regular schools were not up to the Church's 'snooty' standards, something about the public schools supposedly being too slack on students irked the High Council Women.

Even though Carim is the way she is, she's a really good educator. I never had any problems understanding the topics Carim covered and the material was always fun and interesting. I'd like to thank my perspicacity to her impeccable teaching methods, but I also think it's mostly due to my amnesia… I didn't know anything back then so I filled my head with everything now.

Mathematics, art, social studies, and everything else in the curriculum was brutal, by physical education was… hellish. Carim made absolutely sure I stayed in tiptop shape. I knew she was a health nut, but I never expected it to be this brutal. I was worried I'd fail to meet her expectations one day, so I put in every ounce of effort I could into every outing. If Carim wanted me to run I would run and if she wanted me to swim I'd do it without a second thought. Whatever the young woman told me to do was just another challenge to me, a benchmark for me to overcome.

"Home sweet home," Carim said snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Un," was my simple reply.

Carim locked the door behind us and placed her keys on a hook attached to the door. I took my shoes off and made my way to the bathroom, I wanted to get the ice-cream out of my hair as quickly as possible. I was upset that it stained the new dress Carim bought me; it would probably take quite some time to fully remove it. I reached for the bath plug and plugged the hole with it; I turned on the tap shortly after.

"Fate-chan?" Carim's steps were so quiet I could barely hear them. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"You seem a little grim," she carried a fresh set of clothes for the both of us in her arms and placed them over the clothes hamper then knelt down beside me. She dipped her hand into the water quickly filling the tub to check the temperature. "Want to tell me about it?"

"The dress you got me is dirty," I said with a sigh. "I told you not to get me such nice things."

"Clothes are meant to get dirty, Fate-chan. That's why we wear them."

"Your clothes don't get dirty."

Carim shook her head and smiled, "I can't really risk getting my uniform dirty, the Church won't give me another one."

"Another one?" I quirked my eyebrow and gave my guardian a disbelieving look.

"Y-Yeah…" Carim shied away and chuckled nervously. "When I was younger I used to get into a lot of fights."

"I can't see that happening, sorry."

"Don't be so quick to judge, Fate-chan." Carim said. "I was quite the little hell raiser back in the good old days. I used to flip nuns' skirts, beat up annoying boys in the lunchroom, disrupt classes, and many other things that landed in my permanent record."

"Wow, I'm surprised I still don't believe you."

"Tch, you're a witty one," my guardian grinned at me, her bluff called upon. "Truth is back when I was training as an Apprentice Knight under Lady Vivio my clothes would um…"

"Would…?"

"Disintegrate from the sheer power of her she exhorted," The blush on Carim's face was unforgettable. I had never seen my guardian so red before. "I can still clearly remember all the times I had to run into the convent with barely anything on."

"Yikes."

"You can say that again. The humiliation was unbearable… and since my training exercises ruined so many uniforms, by the time I graduated the Church refused to give me any more replacements."

"You're always wearing the same thing outside though," I commented. "Isn't wearing that same outfit every day a little… unsanitary?"

"Oh my sweetie actually smuggled me a few extra uniforms the last time she was in the convent." She said in the sweetest calm voice ever, her story had been a fabrication all alone. I knew something was fishy…

"Eeh!"

"Sh-Shoosh! It's our little secret okay?"

"But…"

"Secret!"

"But Carim-san!"

"SECRET!"

"You're so weird, Carim-san. Both you and Hayate-san are weird. Stealing from a Church what kind of example are you setting?" I groaned. Carim laughed it off and patted me on the back. I swear this woman is battier than her lover.

"Even though we're so weird you wouldn't replace us right?"

"Of course not! We're… we're family."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Fate-chan."

A thought came to my mind, "Then what was the point of your story if you had extra uniforms?"

"I don't know I was just making an interesting conversation."

"I repeat: you're so weird, Carim-san… I can't stress that enough."

"It takes a weirdo to know a weirdo, so back at'cha Fate-chan."

"Don't turn this around on me; I'm not the lady who tried to convince a child she only had one set of clothes."

"Ahaha, it kept you entertained didn't it?"

"It did unfortunately…"

"I win then!"

Carim and I didn't dwell on the topic for long, we were both too tired and in need of a good bath. I bathed with my guardian every night, she washed my back and I washed hers. The first time we did this I was apprehensive; the idea of being naked in a bathtub with an unknown woman scared me. I asked Carim if I could do it myself and she agreed to it without question, but after five minutes of complete and utter confusion I had to call her back to help. I can take them on my own now of course, but it was just so much more fun bathing with Carim. For the longest time I despised myself for not even knowing how to take a bath. The amnesia had wiped away almost everything I knew except for the ability to speak, but even so I still had trouble remembering certain phrases, words and actions.

The body of an adult woman was really something else. I tried not to think about it, but whenever Carim washed my back her soft, round breasts would sometimes rub up against me. The feeling I got wasn't exactly… normal. Female skin-ship was a very common thing here on Mid-Childa, especially on East Mid-Childa, and Carim thought nothing of it, but I… felt a little… freaked out. They were just so large and yet they floated! How was it even possible?! Wait, Carim-san and I are the same gender; does this mean I'll be growing a set of those, too?

"Your hair's gotten a little longer, Fate-chan." Carim said snapping me out of my thoughts.

"It has?" I lifted up a lock of hair and inspected it. My hair was onyx black and relatively short compared to Carim's, it only reached a little past my shoulders and I doubt it would grow any further due to the irreparable damage done to it. "I guess it has hasn't it?"

"I remember when I first met you; your hair was so short I thought you were a boy." Carim's dainty laugh echoed within the tiny bathroom like a sweet song. "You stood so still clutching onto your shirt trying not to cry when the sisters were tending to you. You were so cute and still are!"

"Don't say such weird things, please?"

"But it's true!"

My hair had been damaged by a fire the night I was brought to the orphanage. The smell of burnt hair and singed skin still plague my thoughts despite not being able to remember the event itself. And on occasion my mind would play tricks on me and make me think of the nauseating scent. Luckily I wasn't hurt too badly, just a few scrapes here and there, the sisters had to cut off most of my hair though.

"It felt weird having short hair like that."

"I don't know about that, it kind of suited you, kiddo."

Grumbling in frustration I said, "If you like short hair so much, why did you grow your hair out?"

"Oh very simple," Carim beamed. "Only the cutest girls can make short hair look good."

"Eh? But Carim-san you're so pretty!"

"Why thank you dear, but the truth still stands. Only cute girls can make short hair look good."

"Then what about long hair?"

"Long hair," Carim paused to think, "I'm not too sure really, I think having long hair is just a standard thing to most girls."

Dousing my arm with some water to clear the suds, I looked up and said, "You aren't like most girls though."

"You think so?"

"Of course I think so!" I nodded my head and continued, "You're tall, beautiful, you've got a great and caring personality, you're graceful, and you're a pervert."

"Eh!? EH!?" The look on Carim's face was priceless as she stammered out incoherent words to form a defence. "I-I… mou, Fate-chan!"

"It's futile to deny it, don't think I haven't noticed the way you stare at the high school students."

Carim pinched my cheek and growled, "Keep that a secret you!"

"Admit it; you only keep your hair long because of Hayate-san." I leered at my guardian causing her to flinch. Bingo.

I knew it.

"Um… oh look at that, you're so squeaky clean, Fate-chan!" she said trying to change the subject. Carim laughed out awkwardly trying to avoid my gaze.

"Don't try and change the subject, mou!"

"It's too late, the topic has been changed!"

"No it hasn't, Carim-san!"

"Yes it has," she said smugly handing me the wash cloth.

"No it has not!"

"Yes it has, now wash my back minion!"

She turned around and moved her hair out of the way to give me easier access to her back. I ran the wash cloth over her, careful of the scars evident on her pale skin. Carim's body was riddled with them; even her face had a faded scar or two. I never asked why she had so many scars feeling it would be too rude of me, but even without asking I already knew the answer deep down.

Some of the scars where fading while the larger ones looked as if they were freshly inflicted. The concentration with the most markings was on her shoulder blades. The largest scar was an inch away from her spine; it was adjacent to the scar on her chest. Aside from those two major ones, Carim had a series of thin, side scrolling scars all over her back caused by a rake of some sort. Someone had wanted to scratch out the oath Carim had tattooed on her back; however, the person who did it had no intention of killing her for the wounds they caused were shallow.

I asked Carim about the tattoo once; she told me it was the final rite of passage to become a Knight of the Saint Church. A solemn vow you commit to was tattooed across your back with magical ink, it was a painful process so the shorter the vow the better. Carim's oath was 'Alte Liebe Rostet Nicht', it was in a different language so I couldn't understand it. Carim explained that it meant 'Old Love Does Not Rust'. I guess it was just her way of saying she would love and serve Hayate forever.

"Hey Carim-san, how old were you when you became a knight?"

Carim hummed in thought and said, "I just turned seventeen when I completed my apprenticeship, one year before I met you. Why do you ask?"

"When did you start training though?"

"I became a Knight-in-training when I turned fourteen, but before I could enter the training program I had to enter and complete the TSAB preliminary training program since the Church is affiliated with them. If you couldn't pass their tests, the Church wouldn't accept you as a possible Knight-a nun maybe, but not a Knight. Also I believe I started that the first training program when I was around your age."

"My age?"

"I entered the program when I was nine and completed it when I was thirteen. It was tough, but I somehow made it through."

"Do you think I'll be able to do it?"

"Do what?"

"Become a Knight like you!"

"Fate," Carim had dropped the honorific for the first time. Her face was grim and reprimanding as if I had said or done something wrong. "Becoming a knight is a very serious thing that can't be taken lightly. There's a reason why there aren't very many young Knights. Once you join you can never leave, the oath you make becomes your life and if you break it… I don't want to think about it. The consequences are too grave. Fate, I'll support you on anything you want to do, but becoming a Knight, becoming a soldier, means putting your life on the line for someone else. You stop living for yourself, is that what you want?"

"Hm, no not really… I guess."

"I knew what I wanted to do when I was very young, so the choice to become a Knight was very easy for me to make."

"But I do want to become like you when I grow up," I said. "I want to be courageous and stand up for the weak."

Carim looked back at me stunned by my bold declaration. Her indecipherable mask reappeared and her voice grew cold, "Fate, you think too highly of me."

"But you're so amazing! You can out run me so easily without breaking a sweat, you can carry all the heavy boxes, you're smart, beautiful, and you know what you want in life!"

"Now you really are thinking too highly of me," Carim said with a sigh. "I can out run you because my legs are so much longer than yours. Those so called heavy boxes are much lighter than you think. I'm not really all that smart; everything I teach you is straight out of a book. You'll be far more beautiful than I when you grow up and when you do grow up you'll definitely know what you want. You're still young Fate-chan, don't give that up so easily."

"But…"

"I don't really do anything important as a Knight other than take care of you and run the flower shop."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't go out and fight monsters, kill dragons or save people; I can barely help a little old lady cross the street without getting slapped around silly with her purse."

"But weren't you an active duty soldier before I met you?"

"Aa, there was a time when I was an active duty soldier after my training, but that was short lived after my squad got… um," Carim scratched the back of head her contemplating whether or not she should continue. "Well anyways I got beaten up pretty badly and after my recovery I was found unfit to go back on the field. I'm nothing but a desk jockey now, pushing papers and clocking out at five just like an office lady."

"How could you be unfit to go back on the field?" I asked completely absorbed into the story.

"It wasn't because I performed poorly, but rather my linker core had been severely damaged after the incident." Carim lifted her hand up to the ceiling light, water cascading down her arm. "Usually linker cores regenerate and heal over time, but it takes quite a bit of patience and luck, so I may still be able to go back to active duty someday… someday not soon, ahaha."

I felt a little bad asking her all these questions, but they just kept coming out.

"How much magic do you have left then?"

"Right now I have about as much magical energy as a frail child does." The blonde haired knight grimaced. "It isn't so bad though, I get to sit back and spend the days with you. It was scary being on the field…"

"Carim-san…"

"All these scars, all the sleepless nights, and all the pain I endured as a soldier…" She shook her head and sighed, eyes shut tightly. "It was an arduous journey that still haunts me, but I'm thankful for it. If it wasn't for these experiences I may never have been able to meet you, Fate-chan."

I knew what I wanted to do.

"Carim-san, will you train me?"

"H-Huh? She turned around to face me with an incredulous expression. "Weren't you listening to me? Becoming a Knight is—"

"I understand what you're saying Carim-san, but I've made up my mind." I said firmly. "Being bullied by those boys, not being able to stand up for myself… feeling weak and alone…"

"Fate-chan…"

"I want to change all that! I want to become stronger to protect the people I care about like you and Hayate-san. I also want to make a difference in the world with my power just like you and her!"

"You know my sweetie's a desk jockey too right? She's about as effective in combat as a newborn kitten."

"But she's a General! She makes critical decisions and leads her men to victory. She may not be a field soldier, but she still plays a very important role."

"She'd probably laugh if she heard you say those things," Carim chuckled lightly.

"Why would she laugh at my praise? She's so well composed and diligent!"

"This is Hayate-sama we're talking about right? Not some other official?" She added in between fits of laughter. "She may look serious to most people, but get to know her and you'll find she's nothing like that. Hayate-sama does have her moments that much I'll give her, but she's still a perverted skirt chaser."

"All I want is to be taught," I said with a heavy sigh. "Whether I become a Knight like you or become a military like Hayate-san is still unclear."

"What sort of things do you want to be taught then?" My guardian's eyes were conflicted, but permissive. "I can only teach a few things here and there, Knight Training is highly restricted to those who wish to enter Knighthood."

"I want to learn how to fight back. I want to get faster, faster than you!"

"I see…"

"When you beat me today I felt ashamed of myself."

"Why?"

"You had been letting me win all this time…"

"Not exactly Fate-chan, remember what I told you?" Carim giggled. "I'm a paper pusher; I haven't gotten any exercise in ages! Every time we raced home you really did beat me, but as we continued to play that game I kind of got back into the groove of things. You'll be much faster than me when you're older, no doubt about that."

"I never thought of it that way till now."

"What exactly did you mean by 'fight back'?" Carim got out of the tub and reached for a towel to cover herself with. "Do you mean with a weapon?"

"Yeah, I think it'd be kind of cool…" I mumbled. "I see you practice with your sword every morning."

"Hm, I see… but what kind of sword are you looking to learn? I've only really ever practiced with a rapier. I'm actually pretty hopeless with anything else… my instructors all gave up on me after I caused an explosion with a paper fan."

"I wouldn't mind trying a rapier then try other weapons later on."

"What kind of weapon do you see yourself wielding in the future, Fate-chan?"

"A Zweihänder would be kind of cool."

"Such a big sword for such a little girl, but I can see it happening."

Carim wrapped her hair up with another towel and offered me one. I readily accepted it and got out of the tub myself. I couldn't help but stare at the words inscribed on Carim's back, wondering what my own oath would be if I chose the path of a Knight.

"Fate-chan, if you really want to I can teach you how the art of fencing, but only as a way to discipline yourself." Carim said looking at me seriously. "You get angry very easily and that necessarily isn't a bad thing, but you contain it within yourself without any form of release. It isn't healthy."

"So you will teach me?"

"Yes I will if it is really what you wish of me, but I won't be going easy on you."

"I understand, I'll study hard I promise!"

"I know you will Fate-chan; you haven't proven me wrong yet." Carim patted my head and smiled. "I'm very proud of you, dear."

"Thank you Carim-san, I won't disappoint you."

"Shouldn't that be Carim-sensei—oh, oh even better," Carim giddily hugged me. "Master Carim!"

"No."

"But!"

"No."

"But, but…"

"No."

"But Fate-chan!"

My guardian and I played our childish game till we dried off and put our fresh clothes on. She continued her endeavours to change my mind, but I was steadfast and refused to bow down and call her master. The title had Carim's lover written all over it and I refused to fall into the trap. Never again… never again…

"Carim-san, I please I still haven't lived down the tricks you and Hayate-san played on me when we first met."

"But you were so cute saying it with a quiet stutter and a blush," Carim gushed.


	9. Arc 2 : Chapter 1 part 4

**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

**Arc 2: Wisdom's Guidance: The Legendary Knight Rests**

* * *

**I**

**Part 4 of 4**

Birth of Resolve: The Ancient Dream Awakens

* * *

Carim followed me to the living room without saying a word. She sat down on the bench and lifted up the piano lid, her fingers dancing across the keyboard in a calming melody. I paid little attention to her and the song she played. I continued towards my violin, my steps slowing as I neared it. I picked up the instrument and stared at it, my reflection looking back at me, her disgusted expression deepened my frown.

Turning around I glared at my guardian, "Carim-san, can I ask you a question?"

"Hm?" she hummed without stopping her melody.

"Do you take me seriously?"

"Of course I do, dear," She didn't turn to look at me, but I could see it from the corner of her face. She was wearing that damned indecipherable masked again. "What makes you think I don't?"

"You're always teasing me and making fun of me…"

"Oh?"

"It's been nearly a year and things still haven't changed, you still treat me like a child."

"You are a child, Fate." The honorific was dropped again giving my name a hollow ring. "No matter how you look at it or how you feel you are still a child with many youthful ambitions that come and go like the tide. When you say things such as 'I want to become a Knight like you!' or stating an absurd desire to become someone like Hayate-sama, I get scared."

"Why do you get scared, Carim-san? You're a fearless Knight of the Saint Church." I put my violin back onto its stand and moved towards Carim who visibly flinched when I touched her shoulder.

"Fate-chan, you're placing me up on that pedestal again," she tried to laugh it off. "I'm not a fearless knight; I'm very far from that. I am a coward, Fate. I ran away from my duties and chose paperwork over my sword. I valued my life… becoming selfish."

"You aren't selfish, Carim-san."

"As your guardian I cannot allow you to make the same mistakes I did. Becoming ugly and scarred, useless and lost… I never expected such things. All I saw was the glamour of it all, the stunning armour, the respect, and the power; I never thought twice about what those things entailed, I just wanted to do it. I didn't have anything to hold me back, so I kept charging… but I tripped on a rock and ran home crying."

"I thought you said you didn't regret becoming a knight."

"I don't regret it," Carim sighed, her expression growing impatient. "I just don't want you to repeat the hardships I went through."

"You and Hayate-san are my heroes, Carim-san. I want to be like you two no matter what you say!"

"Fate-chan, you cannot be me or Hayate-sama. You need to be yourself."

"Then why can't you be yourself with me?" I cried out. "It's been a year Carim-san, at first I thought you were just immature, but then I got to know you and now I know different. I may be a child, but I can still see when someone's acting fake around me!"

"F-Fate-chan, I-… no, you're right."

"I don't want to be babied. I may be small on the outside, but in the inside I'm big. Bigger than you." I tried to prove my point by standing on my tiptoes and puffing out my chest. "In a few years I'm going to be much, much taller than you! I'll be stronger and faster! I'll be smarter and wittier, and I most definitely will not lose to you."

"Dear, do you think of me as a rival?"

"No, I see you as a goal."

"A goal?"

"I want to become better than the person raising me. It's what a parent wants isn't it?"

Carim blushed deeply stammering in embarrassment, "P-Pa-Parent! Fate-chan please don't say things like that, I'm only eighteen!"

"Parent, guardian, sister, it doesn't matter to me. You're still raising me!" I sat on the bench beside Carim and leaned on her. "So your goal must be for me to succeed right?"

"Grr, was I always this stubborn?" Carim said to herself in a near inaudible grumble.

"I want Carim-san to raise me with her true self. The serious Carim-san who analyzes everything and plans to it accordingly, the Carim-san who can move so fluently with a rapier in hand or on a ivory keyboard, the Carim-san who isn't afraid to correct me when I'm doing something wrong, that's the Carim-san I want to surpass." I clenched my fist and grinned. "I don't want to see you 'ditz-ing' it up just to please the Church."

"So how do you know my ditzy self is an act?"

"The way you carry yourself when you think I don't notice proves it," I said recalling all the times Carim surpassed my expectations recently. "I'd like to try this TSAB preliminary training program, but the way I am right now is no good. I want to blow everyone away with the teaching my guardian has taught me."

"You're not giving up are you?" I shook my head. "And you want me to stop acting 'ditzy' and 'silly' with you?"

"Ehehe, not all the time though. I want to have fun with Carim-san, too."

"Was I laying it on a little too thick?"

"Just a little…"

"The Church did tell me to… 'play' with you, but I'm no good with children." Carim chuckled. "The girls in the orphanage all acted this way so I copied; I never thought you found it that annoying though."

"I don't find it annoying per say I actually enjoy it sometimes, but it isn't fair to you. Always keeping your true self hidden isn't what family is for. I'm almost eight, just a year younger than you when you started your training."

"You shouldn't compare yourself to me Fate-chan; it isn't good for your health."

"I'm not comparing myself to you, I want to surpass you!" I repeated myself over and over again causing the knight laugh nervously. I repeated the words 'I want to surpass you' like a mantra. "I don't plan on entering the program when I'm nine, I'll do it when I'm eight and a half!"

"E-Eh!"

"You're going to teach me how to fight right?" I snuggled in closer to Carim and tucked myself under her arm. "And I'm a fast learner so I should be able to learn enough to at least defend myself by then."

"My combat skills are extremely rusty, Fate-chan. I wouldn't rely on my teachings alone to defend yourself."

"So I should study things on my own as well?"

"No, not exactly what I meant…"

I shook my head, "Carim-san's teachings will be more than enough.

"The TSAB accepts selected persons over eight as long as they have a recommendation from an esteemed TSAB agent."

"This is where my sweetheart comes in isn't it?"

"Bingo, now any other problems?"

"You know there are other restrictions to actually participate the program other than age and recommendation…"

"Like what?"

"Well a big one is actually _having_ a linker core, not all people have them." Carim said reminding me. "You can be as strong as you can be mentally and physically, but if you don't have a linker core you can't get accepted into the Knighthood, the TSAB may accept you… but it'd be in a cubicle or just a regular police officer."

"Why can't I become a Knight without a linker core?"

Carim patted my head and ruffled my hair, "Knights are magical warriors who rely on their physical strength, mental prowess and magical aptitude to fight. The TSAB and the Knights use weapons called 'devices' which amplify and give form to our magic, but they require a power source and the device's strength also relies on it. The more mana the mage's linker core and contain and process greatly affects the device's capabilities as a weapon."

"Do I have a linker core?"

"I'm not sure Fate-chan; you'd need to have the TSAB inspect you for that." Carim looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "You ask a lot of questions."

"So I've been told," I replied with a laugh.

"It's settled then. From now on I'll be waking you up extra early to start training, you asked for this so I better not hear any complaining." Carim's voice was serious and stern, but the smile she had on unnerved me. "Unfortunately I only have adult sized rapiers, hmm… maybe I can get the Church to send me a child sized sword, and it might take awhile to get here though since the railways have been rather congested as of late."

"Are they heavy? The adult ones I mean."

"Well yes and no. For a weapon, especially a sword, rapiers are very light but…"

I glowered at her, "For a child it'll be a different story. That's what you wanted to say right?" Carim nodded her head. "Don't worry I can make do with it! I'll try extra hard."

"I know you'll try very hard, Fate-chan. My rapiers are, I'm sorry but no offense they are… larger than you. They're custom made to go well with my height and arm length."

"Eh?"

"You'll have difficulties picking the lightest one I have up with both hands; I can only imagine the problems with only using one."

I pictured myself trying to pick up one of Carim's rapiers and cringed at the sight, "That is a little awkward, but you know I'll be upgrading to a bigger weapon when I get older so this is perfect practice!"

"I don't think a weapon designed to stab or pierce is right for that goal."

"Hm, we'll figure something out, Carim-san!" I said with determination burning in my eyes. "No matter what it takes I know you'll come through for me."

"Oh Fate-chan, you have too much faith in this hopeless Knight…" Carim sighed and wrapped her arms around me; her embrace was warm and comforting. "I won't fail you."

"I know, Carim-san." I returned the embrace and snuggled into her. "Can I ask you one last question, Carim-san?"

"Anything my dear."

"Can I have the last piece of apple pie?"

"No."

"But why!"

"I won it fair and square, that's why." I puffed up my cheeks and looked up to her with puppy-dog eyes. "B-But… I don't see how sharing isn't out of the question."

I jumped up for joy and ran to the fridge with Carim in hot pursuit to stop running in the house. I felt a little guilty asking for her to act like her true self with me, maybe it wasn't an act after all and I had just imposed a heavy request onto my kind guardian.

It's hard to tell with this woman.

Her thoughts and actions are so mysterious.

Does Hayate know what goes on in that pretty blonde head of Carim's?

She probably does, that's what lovers are for.

I wonder… when I grow up… will I hold as many secrets as Knight Carim?

"Mou, Fate-chan how many times have I told you to not run in the house?" Carim sighed as she got to my side and bopped me on the head. "It's dangerous! What if you slip and hurt yourself?"

"I've never run in the house before, Carim-san…" I whispered looking at her oddly. "And weren't you the one who slipped and fell?"

Glaring at me Carim snarled, "This isn't over."

Now I really wonder if my request affected her at all. She's still the same as before!


	10. Arc 2 : Chapter 2 part 1

**The Railgun**: Well we've made it to chapter two! Anyways small thing about the last chapter, people were curious about the hair and eye color change, and I assure you there is a reason for that. In the original version her hair and eyes were the usual Fate-schematic, but my editor's note said otherwise so I had to make the change.

I also know readers are starting to get antsy with these tedious updates, but I implore you to just be patient. So far we've only had Prologue and Chapter 1 released despite having nine chapters on the reader. Things will start to pick up a little, but please don't expect sudden plot changes immediately. I know a lot of people will start dropping this because of its pace and current lack of the "main couple", but it will come in due time.

Without further a due, please enjoy.

* * *

**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

******Arc 2: Wisdom's Guidance: The Legendary Knight Rests**

* * *

**II**

**Part 1 of 4  
**

The Strength to Push Forward

* * *

Carim had kept her promise and began training me immediately. For the past three weeks she woke me up at 6:30am sharp, and made me a hearty breakfast to provide me with enough energy to survive her brutal two hour training session before we left to run the flower shop.

She usually made me two pieces of lightly buttered garlic toast, scrambled eggs, sausage links, and a garden salad paired along with tall glasses of milk. Sometimes she'd change the menu and make it chocolate chip pancakes with maple syrup, but no matter the dish she always made me drink two glasses of milk. Strong bones make a strong knight.

Today's meal was a pleasantly delightful surprise. Before me were two crudely made heart shaped pancakes, three strips of extra crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, and two glasses of chocolate milk. I looked at the beverage with a giddy smile on my face; I could hardly contain my excitement. I wasn't a big fan of chocolate, it was often too sweet for my sensitive teeth, but chocolate milk was my only exception. My guardian made sure to only put a little of the cocoa powder into the glass to give it a hint of extra flavour and the familiar color of chocolate.

"You deserve a treat," Carim spoke up, her eyes not leaving the pages of her book, "You've been working hard every day, I'm so proud of you."

"Carim-san…" Words couldn't convey how happy I was. "Thank you."

"Eat up okay? You're going to need the extra energy today."

I eagerly dug into my pancakes savouring the taste of the sweet and sticky maple syrup. Carim wasn't the best cook around, but she made amazing pancakes. They were always light and fluffy; I could taste her love in every bite. I could tell right away Carim put a lot of effort in my meal despite the way it looked.

When Carim agreed to train me she asked that I show her how to work the kitchen. I thought it was odd that my guardian willingly asked since she had a long history of setting things on fire. Her first few attempts at making something as simple as sunny side up eggs had been nothing but disastrous to say the least. She not only set fire to our kitchen but also a majority of her uniform. Watching the young woman run around flailing her arms screaming bloody murder in a futile attempt to snuff out the flames was by far the highlight of my year. I had come to the rescue with a bucket of water and perfect aim. Thankfully Carim learned her lesson and just stuck with scrambled eggs… hardboiled was next on the agenda as soon as she figured out how to boil water.

Teaching Carim how to make toast and bacon was easy enough. We had a fairly new toaster in our meager kitchen arsenal and I rather liked my bacon burned to a blackened crisp, I added that last part sarcastically of course. Luckily making a garden salad or anything involving a blade was hassle free. Carim's knife skills were impeccable and she had no trouble slicing up lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and other vegetables. She got a little fancy with them actually; the salads Carim made me looked like they came straight from a five star chef's line.

"Slow down a little dear, you've still got another fifteen minutes to eat."

"I can't help it, this taste so good!"

Shoving a blackened bacon strip into my mouth, I cringed at the resistance it put up. I did my best it break it up, but the darned thing refused to surrender. Carim sighed in defeat as she watched me struggle to eat; I could tell she felt terrible for not being able to cook the simplest of things, but what could she do? She was a warrior not a mother, cooking was the last thing she had to worry about.

"I'm sorry, Fate-chan…" she mumbled quietly, her bangs hiding her eyes. "I wish I wasn't so hopeless in the kitchen."

I managed to swallow the bacon and took a mighty swig of my chocolate milk to drown out the after taste. After breathing a sigh of relief I looked up at Carim and grinned, "I've told you countless times before, I like my bacon extra crispy!"

"You're too kind," was Carim's shy reply.

"Kindness doesn't have anything to do with it," I told her honestly.

My guardian stood up to refill her coffee mug for the third time this morning. I didn't know how she could handle all that caffeine without going loopy—loopier than normal that is. I had taken a sip of it before and found myself bouncing off the walls; I decided that very day I would never drink coffee again. Milk, water, and juices were more than enough for me.

"So what's the plan for today?"

"It's Friday today so that means you're running with 10lbs on each arm and leg, with 6lbs on your back," Carim informed me with a slice of toast in her mouth. Her words were slightly muffled and a little difficult to understand, but I caught the gist of what she was trying to say. "I was also thinking of making it trickier by making us run on the beach."

"Reasonable enough, then what's after that?"

"Fifty push ups and a martial arts lesson," Carim dunked the final piece of toast into her coffee and popped it into her mouth with a happy smile. "When that's completed I thought we could cool off in the water. Go for a little swim y'know?"

"I should bring my bathing suit then," I said aloud as I marked bathing suit and other beachwear off of my mental checklist.

Carim gave me a strange look and said, "No, no you shouldn't."

"What?" I deadpanned. "Didn't you just say we were going for a swim?"

"I'm just teasing," she placed a hand over her lips to stifle out her laugh. "You take things too seriously sometimes, Fate-chan."

"I think the opposite has to be said here… furthermore that was a terrible joke."

"Huh?"

"Never mind…" I sighed and returned to my breakfast.

I eyed Carim's empty plate and felt a pang of guilt ring through my body. The knight didn't eat much during the morning on most days. She'd always have a piece of toast and maybe a sausage link or two along with her coffee and milk. I asked her why and she told me that she didn't have the appetite, but I could tell immediately that she was lying. The bigger my food portion was the less hers became.

I finished off the last bit of my breakfast making sure I didn't leave anything on the plate and downed the rest of my milk. I needed to show Carim my appreciation somehow.

"Let me take your plate." I offered with my hand outstretched.

Without looking at me, Carim lifted up her plate and handed it to me with mumbled words of gratitude. Holding both plates and glasses I made my way towards the kitchen sink mindful of the eating utensils balancing precariously on the edge. I somehow managed to get to the sink without causing too much noise.

"Fate-chan!" Carim called out to me in a singsong voice. "Fate-chan!"

"Hm?"

"Look at me!"

"What?"

"I said look at me!" she roared enthusiastically forcing me to drop all the objects I carried into the sink abruptly. "Look at, look at, look at!"

"Look at what?" I watched my guardian eagerly point at a stray lock of hair standing on end. "Eh… umm, what?"

"Ahoge!"

"Ahowah?"

"Ahoge."

"…" Narrowing my eyes at the blonde woman before me, I felt a twitch on my left eye start up.

"A-Ho-Ge!" Carim spelled out, her grin even wider than before. "It's an East Mid-Childa term, Hayate-sama taught it to me when we were both stationed over there a couple years ago."

"There are a lot of weird things running around that crazy General's head," I said to myself absent mindedly not caring whether Carim heard or not, "But knowing she's influenced you this much scares me just a tad."

"Ahoge means silly or stupid hair—"

"I guessed as much…"

Carim's bright mood began to sour as the conversation continued. I didn't care all too much about what she was saying, it involved Hayate and when that happens no good can come out of it. I had met the woman a few times and each time something catastrophic happened. I respect her and her rank, as well as her relationship with Carim, but something about her just attracted trouble.

"It's a hair antenna like the ones from the TV shows!"

Quirking an eyebrow, I shot my guardian an uncertain look. "TV?"

"Drat, those aren't invented yet!" she snapped her fingers and sneered off to the side, her grin turning into a toothy frown.

"Carim-san, I'm completely confused now…"

"Ara, did I just break the fourth wall?" the teen placed a dainty hand on her cheek and looked up towards the ceiling with a troubled expression.

Slamming my hand into my face, the Knight let out a hearty laugh. She was messing with me the entire time, switching from one mood to another seemed to be another thing she picked up from that overpowered blue eyed devil. I eyed the protruding lock and watched it rotate as swayed her head back and forth happily. What in the world is wrong with my guardian? Did waking up so early finally break her or have I missed something important?

"I'm not still not following you, sorry." My guardian continued to point at the cowlick with uncontrolled fits of laughter. "I'm still not following…"

"Fate-chan you party pooper," Carim crossed her arms angry that I still didn't catch onto the joke.

"Would you mind explaining more thoroughly then?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it isn't funny anymore."

I sighed in exasperation and returned to my dish work, thanks to Carim's random outburst I was now a few minutes behind schedule. I wanted to be out of the apartment at exactly 7am, breakfast had eaten up fifteen minutes, Carim's randomness took away a good three or four, then there's actually dressing up and…

"It's going to rain." My guardian's clear blue eyed hazed over as she flipped through her book. Her serious tone caught me momentarily off guard.

Crud…

"We have two options—"

"Carim-san, I am not running around in a garbage bag again." I cut her off knowing immediately what she was going to suggest. I gave up trying to follow the quirky Knight's train of thought, but she was still very easy to read during most scenarios. "When I do it, it's sort of cute… but when you do it, it's just plain creepy. Honestly whoever heard of a fully grown woman running around wearing a plastic bag with a hole cut out?"

"Being a bit picky are we?" the Knight's playful snicker caused me to blush.

"Please don't forget I still haven't lived down the embarrassment of getting caught like that."

"Hey, it was a good idea at the time." Carim protested with all her might. "A Knight never turns down a viable plan during the critical moments of battle!"

"We're not in battle; we're in a residential area filled with a lot of children… and old people. Lots of old people."

"What's the difference? Old people can be scary, especially when they smile and they have teeth!" The grin on my caregiver's face was mocking me; she had deliberately trapped me in the corner. "Anyway, children will be children, they like to play and poke fun. It's best to just ignore it and play along. So what if you look a little silly, at least we stayed dry."

"Staying dry is the least of my concerns…"

"Then what _is_ on the list, Fate-chan?" There it was again, Carim's indecipherable mask. "You can't stay like this forever you know. Not everyone is out to get you and if someone is what will you do when you're alone?"

"I-I know that!" I cried out, my temper rising dangerously fast. "But it's scary to think that you won't be there to stand up for me one day."

"You've been making a lot of progress lately," Carim paused and finished her cup of coffee before continuing, her eyes still steeled away. "And I don't mean in your training. You've come quite a ways since we first met and I'm sure you'll keep surprising me with your abilities."

"I… I'll let you down if you keep praising me like this."

"Whether Fate-chan fails or not doesn't matter just as long as she learns her lessons along the way." The kind Knight smiled at me.

"You're weird Carim-san…"

I refused to continue the conversation any further and turned my attention back to the dirty dishes waiting for me. I heard Carim sneer behind me childishly and storm off to the bathroom to get ready. I had a sinking feeling the garbage bag plan was going to be put into use again and I had no way to counteract it. I'd suggest we just buy ponchos, but with the budget as tight as it is now it was more of a luxury than a necessity.

It didn't rain much in Diam, Carim jokingly says it's because she made a deal with the Goddess Wisdom to keep the city dry. The Knight even went as far as saying the Goddess gave her a daily weather report in the morning through her antenna—Oh! I get it now!

"Pfft!" I stifled my laughter by pursing my lips tightly together. "Ahaha!"

My guardian was such a quirky girl; it was hard to not love her.

After finishing with the dishes, I headed towards the bathroom and waited patiently for my turn. Carim exited the room shortly after and allowed me inside. The Knight looked like she was finally awake, the tuft of hair that stuck out before was no more. She held the door open for me like a kind gentleman, but I knew this trick too well and stood outside with a sharp glare on my face. An alert Carim was a tricky Carim.

"E-Eh, what's wrong Fate-chan?"

Tapping my foot on the floor I cleared my throat and said, "I don't trust you with that door."

"Why not?" Carim asked me with an innocent look on her face. "What could little ol' me do with a door?"

"I don't know but you'll do something, I know it."

My guardian released her hold on the door and backed away slowly, her hands raised up in the air to avoid suspicion. I narrowed my eyes and watched her back step towards the beds.

"Sincere apologies kind Knight, but you've played far too many tricks on me."

"You're just being paranoid," Carim grumbled as she plopped down on her bed. "We're wasting precious time arguing like this."

Nodding my head in agreement, I ventured into the bathroom eager to wash my face and brush my teeth. I closed the door expecting some sort of trap to spring but nothing happened. The blue eyed Knight had once rigged the door with a bucket filled with water and a baby octopus. Luckily I wasn't the one who triggered it, Hayate did unfortunately… and she seemed to enjoy it a little too much.

I quickly surveyed the tiny premises for any possible pranks and found none, I really was being paranoid. I felt a little guilty for treating Carim like some suspicious criminal, but it was hard to trust the Knight when she looked that happy.

I brushed my teeth, one minute for the bottom and another minute for the top row. Carim's teeth were pearly white, I was a little enviou-… did that just happen? Did that just seriously happen!?

Clang! Clang! Clink.

The taste and smell of liquid copper quickly filled my senses as I hovered over the sink with my mouth open wide, tiny droplets of the crimson liquid splashed and melded in with the water in the basin. I stared at my front tooth in horror; luckily it had avoided falling directly into the pipe hole. I flicked the spot it had been with my tongue praying that all of this was just an illusion, but the situation was very real. I had just lost my front tooth…

_What do I do? What do I do? It wasn't even loose, why did it fall out!?_

I flicked my tongue again and cringed at the strange sensation. Licking the spot the tooth had once been in felt extremely weird. I could taste blood and feel it starting to clot. It felt smooth and there was a slight sting in the area when I touched it.

"C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C… CARIM-SAN!" I cried out in my loudest voice. I moved towards the door only to fall on my face, my legs had given out on me suddenly. "Carim-san!"

The Knight barged into the room with lightning speed. She rushed to my side and wrapped her arms around my shaking body and held me tight. Carim ran her fingers through my hair and kept up her tender smile; the blue eyed angel kissed my forehead and kissed away my tears.

"What's wrong, Fate-chan?" she asked me her voice filled with concern.

"M-My front tooth…" I gave the sink a forlorn look and opened my mouth to show my guardian.

A brief expression of surprise graced my guardian's beautiful features. "Pfft!" Carim pursed her lips together and stifled her laugh while she tried to keep a serious face on. I opened my mouth to scold her for being rude, but that just made the situation worse. "P-PFFTTT!"

"Carim-san!" I roared, revealing the empty space between my teeth.

"Ahahahaha!" Carim succumbed to her laughter and fell to the ground with me still in her arms. She clung onto me tightly as she laughed harder and harder, it felt really good to see her happy. The last time Carim had laughed this much was when Hayate was in the room with us doing something silly. "Fate-chan you're so adorable! I love you!"


	11. Arc 2 : Chapter 2 part 2

**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

**Arc 2: Wisdom's Guidance: The Legendary Knight Rests**

* * *

**II**

**Part 2 of 4**

The Strength to Push Forward

* * *

"L-Let go of me, you're crazy!"

"Crazy about you!" The Knight's crystalline smile caused me to blush furiously, my heart beat picking up the longer I stared into her eyes. "Ne, Fate-chan where you surprised?"

"Surprised?"

Carim's change of voice was the real surprise here. She was giggling like a teenage girl just a moment ago.

"When your tooth fell out that is."

I pinched her cheek and pulled it as far as possible. "Of course I was surprised! My tooth fell out and I didn't even notice it was loose in the first place!"

"Ichya-chya-chya-chya! Ret go, ret go prease!" Carim yelped loudly begging for me to stop.

Freeing her cheek from my iron hold, the teenager began to nurse the sore area with her palm. I huffed in dismay and frowned at her.

"Well it's a good thing I did then!" Pushing herself up with her elbows, the gentle Knight helped me to my feet. She brushed off my dress and grabbed hold of both my hands, her fingers intertwining with mine. "You're still young and I'm sure you'll lose a couple more before all of your adult teeth set in!"

"I'm going to lose… more!?" The experience of losing one tooth was more than enough to scar me for life, but now I've just learned that I'd be losing more. "Please tell me you're lying."

"Don't worry so much about it Fate-chan, worse things will happen to your body as you age." Carim had a grim expression as she continued. "For one you grow these awkward things on your chest," She pretended to grab her breasts for emphasis, "your emotions go out of whack for no reason whatsoever, and the worst part has yet to come."

"The worst part? What's the worst part?" I froze on the spot wondering what other horrendous things accompanied my gender.

The Knight shuddered and looked at way from me, face growing redder than a cherry. "It happens once every month for about a week or more."

"You mean that thing that happens where I can't bathe with you?" Carim weakly nodded. "It can't be that bad can it?"

"IT'S THE WORST!" Carim screamed in her loudest voice. She slammed both hands on my shoulders and brought me in close so our noses touched. Her blue eyes burned with rage hotter than the sun. "You get: cranky, bloated, fatigued, emotional… the list goes on and on! There is no end. When it happens all you want to do is lie on the couch and eat ice-cream wallowing in misery."

"Carim-san, you're scaring me."

"And you should be."

The furious teenager straightened her back and sighed; I looked at the top of her head and noticed the stray lock had made another appearance. It bobbed up and down as the blonde let out another sigh. I couldn't contain my mirth when I saw the strange expression Carim displayed.

"I got a little over dramatic there, I apologize."

I waved my hand and laughed once more; I had grown used to Carim's random outbursts and found them hilarious. My guardian was a very composed woman and when she cracks like that it's humbling to know that she was just your average teenage girl with typical teenage problems. No matter how mature or accomplished she becomes the Golden Wolf would always be true to herself. Maybe she'll grow out of it someday, but I hope that doesn't happen anytime soon. I love my quirky guardian.

"So you never did tell me what happens during that time."

"That'll be a story for another day," Carim stood up and walked over to the sink her hand searching for my discarded tooth. "I'll be keeping this if you don't mind."

"By all means it's yours."

"Thank you, thank you."

The Knight rinsed out both the tooth and sink before leaving me in the bathroom to finish up. My mouth had stopped bleeding, but the unpleasant taste of blood still lingered. I quickly brushed my teeth once more repeating my pattern while being mindful of the sore space.

I stepped out of the bathroom refreshed and ready to start the day.

"Hurry and get dressed, I'll prepare the garbage bags!" Carim said with a beaming smile.

A bead of sweat rolled down my neck, she was serious wasn't she? Of all the things for my guardian to force upon me it just had to be garbage bag ponchos…

"Carim-san, I would rather skip out on a day of training than run around looking like that. Ever. Again."

The Knight jumped off of her bed and stood on mine arms crossed. She furrowed her brows together with a defiant expression on her beautiful face; her lips formed an adorable pout that struck me in the heart. The way the light above illuminated her golden mane making me feel like I was arguing with an angel. I felt tiny and inadequate under her playful gaze, but my heart refused to slow down.

"Mou, you keep saying that but you know full well you're going to wear it nevertheless."

"I-I…" I bit my bottom lip and crossed my arms in silent surrender. "I will always do whatever Carim-san asks of me."

"Victory!" The cheerful Knight snapped her fingers and struck a pose. "So does this mean you'll wear a maid outfit for me if I asked you to?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's stupid."

"Mou, Fate-chan you just said you'd do whatever I said!"

I could feel my left eye twitch as I glared at the stunning woman before me. Every second that passed us by my glare intensified. Carim flinched and tried to laugh it off, but no matter how cute she tried to act my glare refused to dissipate. The blonde backed away from me forgetting where she stood. One moment I was staring up at a graceful ethereal being the next I saw a silly teenager with her legs flailing up in the air, wedged in between two beds and clutching her head in pain.

"Ita-ta-ta-ta!" Carim groaned cursing her own stupidity. I rushed to my guardian's side immediately and asked if she was alright. "I'm fine, I'm fine hehe."

"Really? You don't look fine to me."

Our sleeping arrangements had two beds put together side by side to replicate a king-sized one. Carim had unknowingly stepped on the thin crease between the two beds and pushed my bed causing a rift to occur. She had fallen in and landed face first, her body forming a 'C' shape in the process. I was glad Carim had already changed into her training outfit; I would have hated to see my noble guardian lose more dignity by having her dress slide down revealing her animal print underwear.

_Please Carim-san, grow up… even I don't wear print underwear_, I thought to myself with a silent whimper.

"Ehehe," Carim tried to laugh it off, but I knew she was in serious pain. She must have hit herself on the metal bar supporting the mattress. "Lady Vivio really toughened up my skull, that didn't hurt as much as I thought it would."

"Can you get up by yourself?" I asked her with a worried tone.

I watched my guardian twist herself off of her chest and onto her back, I could see the red mark on her forehead more vividly now and sighed. She flashed me her trademark grin and a victory sign, but the tears pricking her eyes didn't make it very convincing.

Carim and I didn't share a bed; she said I needed my own space no matter how small it was. The Church felt no need to allow for two beds in the initial housing budget since I was a child and Carim was like my older sister. Had I been placed under the protection of a man the circumstances would have been much different, but I doubt the Church was that heartless. They would never place an amnesiac child in the care of a Knight opposite their gender. Growing up would be rather awkward if I didn't have Carim guiding me down the right path.

Without the Church backing us financially we had to ask Hayate for a favour. The quirky tactical genius had no problem with answering our simple request since it meant she would have a place to sleep when she came on one of her rare visits. I didn't mind that one bit; I liked Hayate a lot despite all the things I say about her. She was perfect for my Knight in every way possible. The brunette was a very understanding person and never pushed to have her way, this made her one of the few people I looked up to other than Carim.

I admired her for many reasons, but I respected her for her caring nature, supportive attitude, and the way she somehow always knew what Carim was thinking without the use of words. Hayate gets herself into a lot of mischief, she even drags Carim and myself down with her, but at the end all three of us would break down in laughter and lock that day away as another great memory.

"This wouldn't have happened if we just got one big bed instead of two."

"But these smaller ones were cheaper combined!" Carim whined. She stayed in her position not bothering to stand. "I didn't want to ask Hayate-sama for too much."

"Hayate-sama," I added the superior honorific to mock the teen "Would do anything for you no matter the cost. If she saw this she'd fall on the floor laughing then force us to buy a bigger bed that could fit all three of us without having to combine anything."

"I couldn't ask her for something like that," Carim's blush reached her ears. "She has a lot of children to take care of and the charity she runs does take up a lot of her spare income."

"You're too humble you know that? Hayate-san must be proud of you."

"Ehehe, that's how she raised me after all," The grin on my caregiver's face was priceless, whenever we spoke of the loving brunette Carim's smile never seemed to falter. "Never take more than you need and always give back more than you receive."

Hayate's ideals were admirable; she was the type of woman who loved to love.

I looked at the clock and sighed for the umpteenth time this morning. It was well past 7am and we were still in the apartment. I wasn't ready and Carim looked about ready to die and go to heaven.

Could this day get any worse?

"Looks like we'll be losing a few minutes of training today…" I said to my semiconscious guardian. I looked at her winced at the red mark on her forehead, she had hit herself harder than I imagined. "When do you think it will rain, Carim-san?"

"Huh?" Carim looked up at me with a childish expression that put mine to shame. "Rain? It's going to rain?"

"Y-Yeah, you said it was going to rain at breakfast."

Carim picked herself up and stretched her aching limbs; I couldn't help but marvel at my guardian's full height. She was a giant to me and the others around her; it was hard for me to find anyone to rival my guardian.

"Ah, about that," Pulling out her favourite purple ribbon from her pocket, she quickly tied her hair up into a ponytail before shooting me one of her 'glamour shot' smiles. "I lied."

"What…?"

"I said I lied," Carim innocently chuckled.

"I… what!?" My scream came out higher than I expected. "E-Excuse me."

"N-Nyahaha, I only wanted to tease you." Carim patted my head in a pathetic attempt to calm me down. I snapped at her forcing the Knight to retract her hand and cradle it. "We're out of garbage bags anyways. Calm down!"

"That's even worse! Now we have to go buy some on our way home."

"I think someone needs a trip down to Gemini Twist~" the Knight sang out with a happy grin. "You're too uptight, Fate-chan. Relax, moumantai y'know."

"I just lost a tooth, my _front_ tooth," I snarled bitterly. "I think I have every reason to be 'uptight'."

Carim puckered her lips to the side, her hands folded behind her back. She tried to look innocent, but she was hiding something from me.

"Ne, what exactly did you mean when you said 'Well it's a good thing I did then'?"

"Huh?"

"In the bathroom you said that."

"I did?"

"Yes, yes you did!" I crossed my arms and flipped my hair to clear my vision. "You planned on this didn't you?"

I narrowed my eyes and puffed out a cheek.

"I can't plan on when your teeth need to fall out; it was nothing more than keen observation!" Carim put both hands up in defence. "I swear that's all it was!"

"That does sound possible…"

"You need to trust me a bit more!"

Carim skipped over to the kitchen before I could give her a proper reply. I chased after to see what she needed, I could never feel at ease with Carim near the kitchen. I didn't care too much about the actual kitchen and its contents; I was more worried about my carefree guardian. She was very accident prone and I would hate to see her run up to me with a fork jammed in her hand again. I shuddered at the memory and shut my eyes tightly.

"Here ya go kiddo," Carim pressed a warm glass to my cheek to snap me out of my thoughts. "Swish this in your mouth for a couple minutes, but don't drink it okay?"

"Huh?"

"Your mouth is still hurting you right?" The blonde haired Knight reached for the top of my head and ruffled my hair. She smiled warmly and said, "Gargling this sea salt water will do you a lot of good."

"Really?"

"Yes really!"

My guardian picked me up and walked us over to the sink. She positioned me near the basin so I didn't have to struggle when spitting out the water. I began gargling and noticed I was feeling a hundred times better! Eagerly I began taking bigger gulps of the saltwater careful not to drink any of it.

"Good girl," Carim cooed as I finished the last bit of the water. She waited patiently for me to spit it out before letting me down.

"T-Thank you, I feel a lot better now."

"Hehe, it's no problem." The Knight took the glass from me and washed it thoroughly. "Unfortunately I don't think we'll be able to train today."

"Eh, but why!?" I stomped my foot and pouted. "I just lost a tooth not a limb!"

"Too much physical activity after a tooth extraction might cause you to reopen the wound." Carim put the clean glass away and turned to me with an apologetic smile. "I know I took a rather underhand approach today to get your tooth out, I apologize for doing that. I really am sorry for not giving you a heads up, but you would have freaked out more if I just came right out and said 'hey, your tooth is going fall out soon'."

"No, I wouldn't have panicked if I knew that was going to happen!" I groaned in exasperation. I wish Carim would tell me the truth more. "I'd appreciate it if you just told me flat out!"

"Okay you caught me," The Knight dashed all the way to the other room and held up a pillow as if it were a shield. "I wanted to keep your loose tooth a surprise so I could watch you freak out! Don't hurt me, don't hurt me!"

"…"

"F-Fate-chan?" Carim poked her head out from the pillow. "Hello? Hello?"

"…"

"Fate-chan, I'm sorry…"

"…"

"Hey, say something."

"…"

I clutched the hem of my night dress as tightly as I could trying to push back the tears that stung my eyes. I took in a deep calming breath and exhaled, but I couldn't seem to think clearly. Carim promised me she wouldn't joke around and take me more seriously, but this was the complete opposite of that. She promised me!

"Uh…" The Knight was speechless. "I-It was just a joke, sweetie."

The tears I struggled to hold back began trickling through my defences, my chest heaved as my emotions took over. I began to cry uncontrollably, everything I had pent up rushed out.

"Fate?" I couldn't see the Knight, but I could imagine her concerned face clearly. "Fate, calm down… please try and steady yourself."

"No!" I screamed in my loudest voice. A strange feeling surged through my body that moment. It came from my belly and rose up to my head then vanished.

"Tch!" Carim let out a grunt of pain. "Fate, stop!"

"No! You never take me seriously!" I roared furiously. That same feeling came again this time a lot stronger with more force behind it. "You promised!"

"Gaah! Control yourself, Fate!" the Knight pleaded desperately.

Another wave of that strange sensation ripped through me. As it faded my knees give way, my energy suddenly drained. The tears refused to stop despite my weariness. I could feel my heart beat faster than ever; I feared it would jump out of my chest if I allowed it to keep going. It was difficult to catch my breath between the tears, but I managed to pull through. Taking a large gasp of air I willed myself to calm down, but my heart refused to slow down.

The sound of a body hitting the floor forced me to snap my eyes open. Before me my guardian laid face down motionless and quiet. I could see a faint trail of smoking rising from her body, what on earth just happened?

"C-Carim-san?" I called out in a hoarse whisper. I tried to reach out for her, but my limbs refused to obey. "Carim-san!?"

My guardian didn't respond.

"N-Ne, Carim-san, stop fooling around!"

I noticed a blackened trail leading from me to the fallen Knight and felt sick. There was no doubt in my mind now that I was to blame for this. What exactly happened? What did I do?


	12. Arc 2 : Chapter 2 part 3

**The Railgun: **5points to whoever can find the MLP joke.

* * *

**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

**Arc 2: Wisdom's Guidance: The Legendary Knight Rests**

* * *

**II**

**Part 3 of 4**

The Strength to Push Forward

* * *

"Carim-san!" My body still refused to move. "Please wake up, I'm sorry!"

Fifteen minutes passed by and the blonde I cherished hadn't moved an inch. What was I going to do now? I couldn't move a muscle and my guardian was both hurt and unconscious, I needed to get help but… but…

"I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…" I cried desperately. "I didn't know what was happening."

Scenario after scenario played in my head like a movie reel. What was the Church going to do to me if they found out I had hurt their prized Knight? What would Hayate do to me if she heard? I'd be jailed, exiled, or worse jailed and exiled! Fear wracked my brain as the 'what-if' stories continued down a scary path.

"Ugh…" a quiet groan escaped my guardian's lips. "Ow, my head."

"Carim-san!" I exclaimed with teary eyes. Relief washed over me as my guardian stirred. "Thank Wisdom you're okay."

Pushing herself up with one arm Carim clutched her head with her eyes shut tight. She looked uncomfortable and a little discombobulated, but she looked fine otherwise. Another wave of relief washed over me when I saw her eyes flutter open.

"You can throw one hell of a tantrum, Fate…" My guardian's voice was low and raspy voice. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine I think… just really tired. I feel like I just ran six miles on the beach."

"I can only imagine," Carim groaned in pain trying to laugh it off. "Well I just learned a very valuable lesson."

"Huh?"

The Knight stood up and cracked her back; she stretched her limbs and moaned in delight when her joints popped. I wanted to run up, hug her and apologize for hurting her, but whatever I did zapped away every ounce of energy I had in my small body. It's been close to twenty minutes since I collapsed, but I still couldn't move.

"Can you stand up?" she asked me with a stoic expression. I looked up at her quietly and frowned. Carim rubbed the back of her neck and sighed, "You pushed yourself too far this time around."

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry for everything"

"Shoosh, everything is alright."

My guardian picked me up with ease and brought me over to my bed. She laid me down carefully and held my hand. Carim's eyes were dark and hazy; I could tell she was deep in thought. I wanted to speak up but I couldn't seem to find the proper words. Carim's indecipherable mask made an appearance driving the guilt deeper into my chest.

"Well it's safe to say you definitely have what it takes to be a Knight." Carim's words were heavy and a little hesitant. She took in a deep breath and sighed, "Do you remember anything about what happened?"

"No, not really… I did feel a little strange though."

"Do you want to know what happened?" A little scared of the answer, I timidly nodded my head. "The short version goes like this: you kicked my ass."

"What?"

"Your tantrum caused you a lot of great emotional stress which caused your powers to awaken prematurely. Congratulations you're a mage after all," a grim chuckle rumbled through my guardian's throat. "You have an affinity towards the lightning element, that's a very powerful but difficult ability to master. There have been very few people in the past that could control it properly. It's a bit of a lost art now a days since a lot of mages with that affinity choose to lock it away in fear of hurting themselves and others. I can only name two or three people with that ability."

"So I'm dangerous…"

"No you're not sweetie."

Carim patted my head and offered me a weak smile, but I didn't have the strength to return it. My eyes wandered over to the scarred floor and frowned. I did something terrible, I had hurt the person I love with a power I had always dreamed about having.

"Don't look so down dear, you should feel proud of yourself."

"How can you say something like that!?" I snapped. "I hurt you. I hurt you… I-I don't deserve to be by your side. What if I do it again!?"

"Please don't fret over something like that; this was mostly my fault after all. I goofed up real bad," Carim tapped my nose playfully. "It happened a little sooner than I expected, but I guess you're just that amazing."

"Why are you praising me? I did a bad thing—no, I did a terrible thing!"

"Under normal circumstances I'd scold you for throwing such a childish fit, but this time the fault falls on my shoulders. I took my jokes a little too far and upset you; I even went as far as break my promise to you. That is something I cannot forgive myself for and I assure you I will be repenting my actions." The Knight looked into my eyes thoughtfully, a sad smile on her beautiful face. Without letting go of my hand Carim laid down beside me and rested her head above mine. "Your request should have been on the top of my list, but I couldn't find it in myself to be so strict with you. I grew up with two very different upbringings…"

"The Church and Hayate-san?" Carim nodded her head to confirm my assumption.

"My time in the Church stole away the childhood Hayate-sama struggled to give me. To repay that debt to her and to myself I'm doing my best I can to give you what my beloved gave to me… but if it is not what you truly desire I will comply and raise you the way the Church raised me."

"Was life at the Church really that bad?"

"Not really… it was just hard. I grew up rather spoiled and pampered under Hayate-sama's care, so when I got shipped off to the main branch to train under Lady Vivio I was so confused. Leaving an estate with a spacious bedroom and suddenly being put in a tiny room with a roommate took quite some time to get used to. I think I might've drove mine insane with all the complaining I did.

The Saint Church also expected us to do things ourselves like laundry and waking up on time. Luckily they had a cafeteria that was always open, so I never had to go near a stove or anything of the sort. It sounds a little silly but for a girl who grew up with maids and butlers doing everything her… you can only imagine how bad it was. I do, however, appreciate the education I received there. They were strict and very demanding, but the rewards you reap after you graduate are well worth it."

I snuggled into my guardian's arms and listened to her story attentively. I loved it when she spoke of her past; Carim experienced so many things in her short life. Every story she told was exciting and always had some sort of life lesson for me at the end. I could listen to her talk forever.

"So why did you do it then? Why did you push yourself so hard?"

"I guess I did it because I wanted to stand out."

I giggled at Carim's simple answer. "That sounds pretty childish to me."

"Hehe, it does doesn't it? But this was the silly thinking of a jealous child." The blonde shrugged her shoulders. "I wasn't special or all that talented compared to the other children in Hayate-sama's care. I wasn't even the best looking."

"Now you're just pulling my leg! You're the most beautiful person I know!"

"Back then I was very boyish, you wouldn't have been able to tell I was a girl. I had short, shaggy hair with a Band-Aid strapped to my cheek at all times, dusty and dirty from playing in the forest, and I always had a beetle of some sort in my hands. My life in Uminari city was a very lax one; I didn't have a care in the world."

"So that's where you got your laid back personality from."

"At that time I probably had about sixteen or more children vying for my beloved's attention. She treated me differently though, I was the only one who got to sleep in the same bed as her, eat dinner with her when she got home from work, even bathing was done by her side. I received the most presents and love, too." The Knight had a faint blush on her cheeks as she continued her story. "Hayate-sama loved my adoptive brothers and sisters equally, but the feelings I got from her were different. I knew from the very beginning she was raising me to be her lover, not her daughter."

"That sounds a little creepy… n-no offense."

"None taken," Carim beamed. "Whenever one of my brothers or sisters did something bad and Hayate-sama caught wind of it they'd get a firm scolding and a punishment, but when I did something that didn't agree with her she'd just shake her head in disappointment and walk away."

"That doesn't sound very much like Hayate-san," I commented absent mindedly.

"She is a very complicated person at heart. She doesn't like showing it on her face because it goes against the cheerful image she wants people to see, but deep down she's a very serious and calculating general. Hayate-sama is thought of as a tactical genius, she enjoys playing mind games and if given the chance to she'll dominate her opponent mercilessly."

"W-We're still talking about work here right? Nothing private…"

"…"

"…"

"Okay, something's been on my mind for a while now, but just how old is Hayate-san exactly?" Carim ruffled my hair and hugged me tightly. "Hey answer me!"

"She's in her late thirties, thirty-eight to be exact."

"Eh!?" I exclaimed. "But she looks so young! How is it possible that you two look like you're roughly the same age?"

"My beloved Hayate-sama is amazing," the blonde gushed in a dreamy voice. "There is nothing she cannot do!"

I pushed the Knight off of my bed and grinned when her bottom hit the floor. She looked up at me with large, teary eyes asking me why I did that. I shrugged my shoulders and said she deserved it for being creepy. Carim waved it off and climbed back into bed with me as if nothing happened.

"You're just jealous because Hayate-sama is super cool!"

"Being cool doesn't make you young forever."

"But being the descendant of a God definitely helps." Carim's broad grin widened even further. "Hayate-sama will outlive us both no problem."

I never really gave the socially awkward general much thought; all I knew about her was that she loved Carim with all her heart. "That explains a lot now that I think about it…"

"Hayate-sama is the be-!"

"New topic!" Giving the lovesick teenager a pinch on the cheek, I cleared my throat and asked, "Can you explain to me what exactly happened?"

"But the conversation was just getting good…"

"Carim-san, please?" I begged her.

"I wish I could answer you, but what happened came to me as quite a bit of shock as well." Blue eyes looked off into the distance, confusing riddled within their vast wisdom. "You conjured up an electrical current without a magic circle or a device to act as a catalyst, but you also managed to control it to strike in the same place… I really don't know what to make of it."

"I'm sorry for hurting you, Carim-san. I didn't mean it."

"No worries Fate-chan, you didn't have control of yourself. We already went through this; I don't blame you at all."

I snuggled into my guardian's warmth and whimpered. There was something within me that I couldn't control. Carim may have been able to brush it off like nothing, but whatever it was had the strength to knock her unconscious. What if I lost control again and couldn't stop myself? I'd put so many people in danger… I could even kill.

"Hey snap out of it, kiddo!" Carim flicked me on the forehead twice. The pain was more than enough to bring me back. "I know what you're thinking and I want you to stop."

"But I can't!" I trembled in fear; the power I had wanted so desperately finally made itself known, but now all I wanted was for it to disappear. "I could have hurt you!"

"No, not really…" Carim said with a weak grin. "'I've built a tolerance to the elements, there isn't much that can hurt me."

"You fainted though."

"Just because I can't feel it, doesn't mean my body can't."

Lifting both hands up into the air I thought to myself about how something so destructive could come from these innocent looking limbs. I always prided myself in my self-control, but this was a serious miscalculation. I need to rein these powers in; I can't allow them to manifest themselves like that ever again.

_How many more times must I think the same things? Thinking them won't make it happen…_ I growled in self loathing.

"Fate-chan, please stop looking so grim. This was a once in a life time accident, I know you and I know you won't do it again. You're the strongest little girl I know, controlling your lightning abilities will be a piece of cake!" Carim said with high spirits. She was trying to cheer me up, but the burn mark on her training outfit was bringing me down lower than ever.

"You can't be so sure about that…"

"No, I'll make sure it won't happen ever again." The determination in Carim's kind voice frightened me a little. "I'll pull a few strings and see if I can find you a master."

"So you can't do it?"

"I wish I could, kiddo. I only know theory when it comes to elemental magic."

"And I already know everything you do when it comes to theory… is there any other way? I don't feel confident enough to have anyone else watch over my training."

The teenager rubbed the back of her head and shook it. "As you know there are different types of magic; the one you most likely have is Mid-Childa style while mine is Belkan. Actually, I'm not even too sure what you have, I'm just assuming."

"I never asked you this, but what element do you align yourself with?"

"The power of love and justice?" the Knight replied with a cheeky grin. I gave her a blank stare forcing her to rethink her actions. "Um ahem, I don't have an element."

"Eh, you don't?"

"I've got neutral magic and I always relied more on my physical abilities. And to be completely honest I know more support magic than attack."

"I didn't know that." I said in awe. "Could you teach me a few of those abilities?"

"Maybe but first we need to pinpoint if you're Belkan or Mid-Childa." Carim's blue eyes shimmered in excitement and fear. I knew she wanted me to avoid going down the same path as her, but some things are inevitable I guess. "If you're Belkan I can teach you everything I know about support and defense magic, but if you wind up being a Mid-Childa mage then you'll just have to suck it up and accept a new teacher."

I wrapped my fingers around the blanket tightly and frowned, "I don't think I'm ready to try and work on my magic yet, I'm still trying to settle my nerves."

"All in due time, Fate-chan. These things will fall into place for you."

"You think so?"

Nodding her head, Carim kindly smiled at me saying, "I may not be able to teach you how to harness your magic, but I sure as hell can teach you how to fight. Would that cheer you up?"

"You're actually going to teach me?" My face lit up light instantly. I had been begging Carim to train me in swordplay, but she kept pushing it off giving me excuse after excuse. "No more excuses?"

"No more excuses, but…" I knew there was going to be a 'but'. "I'd like for you to look at this from a scholar's standpoint. I don't want you to become a brawler; I want you to be a well educated warrior."

"Understood, but where do we start?"

"Well for starters to be effective in battle you can't always rely on magic. There are some creatures wandering in the wilds that are resistant to magic—"

"AMF right? The entire golemn family, bal'thazeir wyrms, and I think the water hydra have them."

"Correct my little duckling," my guardian patted me on the head proudly. "During my field missions I always managed to stumble into golemn territory so my team of Knights were completely useless. Do you know why?"

"Because they relied more on their magic rather than their own skills?"

"Correct again! You're getting an ice-cream after work today."

I cupped my chin trying to recreate the scenario in my mind. "If they knew their magic was useless against the golmen, why didn't they just switch tactics? Five Knights against a single golemn should be no problem even if they are magically inclined."

"My reputation as a powerhouse got the better of me, so they always left me to do the dirty work."

"That's unfair!"

"It was!" the Knight screeched angrily. "Those golems are stronger than they look. I'd always end up out of breath, bruised, bloody and stinky after fighting one."

"Why didn't your teammates help you?"

"My teammates were very cocky. They believed they were unstoppable just because they had the Knight who was blessed by both the Goddess Wisdom and the Sankt Kaiser. I was in one of the elite teams, so they were strong in their own rights, but fame got to their heads and their egos clouded their judgement."

"I see…"

"Anyways, let's leave the past in the past."


	13. Arc 2 : Chapter 2 part 4

**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

**Arc 2: Wisdom's Guidance: The Legendary Knight Rests**

* * *

**II**

**Part 4 of 4**

The Strength to Push Forward

* * *

There was a hint of sadness in Carim's voice just now. She hardly ever spoke about her time on the field; all my questions got pushed away by a different topic or forgotten all together. I wanted to learn more about her, but how could I when her memories seemed to do nothing but bring her pain.

"Carim-san, are you okay?"

Carim shook her head and got off the bed. She quickly walked over to my stack of text books and pulled out a large maroon book. I recognized it instantly; it was one of my favourites. The Saint Church's Magical Handbook written by the Goddess Wisdom herself in accordance to the Sankt Kaiser's Magic Encyclopedia. Carim and I had just started reading it, but I was already enthralled by its pages.

"We'll be skipping a few chapters, but since you're so interested in it I have no quarrels with explaining a little further."

Instead of answering me she decided to flutter over the topic, my Knight was as secretive as ever.

"Un!" I grunted in acknowledgement. Today would not be the day I bother her for answers. "Ready when you are!"

The Knight positioned herself beside me with the book opened to chapter twenty-five: Elemental resistance. I quickly skimmed the open page before Carim started reading to give myself a bit of a head start.

"Neutral magic is very handy since most beasts and monsters don't have much resistance against it. Everything had a level of tolerance; some are stronger against certain thing while another is weak against it."

"I figured that much out."

"Oh… uh… well then I guess we don't need to read this after all!" The cheerful woman grinned and shut the book promptly. "I've already told you that lightning was powerful, it's fast, precise and deadly, but just because it's all that doesn't mean it's _all that_. Still on the same page as me sweetie?"

"Yes, I am."

"Just from basic science you know that water conducts electricity, so you already know an element that's weak to it and since almost all living things have blood running through their veins. This is what makes your element so dangerous."

"I'd be able to stop a person's heart…" I cringed at the morbid thought and scorned my ability. "Why did I have to have such a terrible power?"

"That's usually what stop most electric users… fear of hurting themselves and others. But think of it this way Fate-chan, when you look out during a thunderstorm and lighting crackles what do you think?"

"A dragon," was my short reply.

"Hm interesting," Carim hummed in delight. "Did you know that the very first person to master electricity was The Great Dragon, Courage?"

"I thought it was the Goddess Wisdom who mastered it first since she controls the weather."

Shaking her head, the Knight continued, "The Goddess Wisdom dislikes conflict so she doesn't practice magic. Lady Olivie shares the same logic as her and avoids using magic as much as possible."

"The Great Dragon…" the title felt odd coming from my mouth. "We haven't touched upon Mid-Childa history all that much have we?"

"No we haven't, but all you really need to know is the Belkan war and the basic details of the technology treaty." Carim waved my question off without much thought, it wasn't like her to ignore a question about school work, but I was going to complain. She would tell me when she's good and ready to.

"When will we be learning about the war soon enough, just be patient mkay? I assure you it will be amazing."

"That's what you said about the biology lesson. I was mortified after that one…"

"Just trust me!" she growled.

Carim and I argued back and forth for the next couple of minutes about the importance of trusting others. She made a couple good points, but I managed to shoot all of them back at her by reminding her of all the things she did that contradicted her debate. There was no ill will between us, debating was one of our past times and it helped solidify the lessons Carim pounded into my head. I doubt I would be able to find another child my age who could argue with their caregiver or older sister like I did.

"Guess this means we won't be training today huh?"

Blue eyes looked at me in sudden realization. Carim chuckled and shrugged her shoulders, "This morning was more than enough training for the both of us. I say we just lie here and sleep in a little."

"We can't go for even a little run?"

"Nopes, too tired."

"But…"

"Too. Tired!"

"We can just—"

"Lazy Carim is lazy!"

"Carim-san!" I whined pitifully.

"Look at yourself for a moment; do you look like you've got the energy to run outside?" The Knight pointed at my lightly burned dress then at the gap between my teeth. "An hour ago you could barely keep yourself awake, do you think I'm going to allow you physically exert yourself now that you can move a little?"

"No, I guess not… but today just feels like a waste if we don't do some training."

"It wasn't a waste; you learned a lot didn't you?"

"I guess I did, but that still doesn't replace going outside and moving about."

Carim patted my head and sighed heavily. "We can go tomorrow sound good? I just don't want you pushing yourself, today is a very special day. We'll go for ice-cream after work and when we get home we'll have a little music session then finish the night off with a couple chapters of your text book."

I loved it when Carim bargained with me; she always made them fair and easy to agree with. She really paid attention to my wants and needs, I am so lucky to have such a kind guardian.

"That sounds pretty good, okay I accept the deal!" I said grinning broadly.

My guardian got up with a quiet grunt, her back giving her a little trouble. She pushed herself off of the bed using the momentum to stand up, how long had it been since Carim got herself checked by a doctor?

"Ne, Carim-san, are you okay? Be honest please."

"You might've knocked a few tiles off of this ol' girl's floor," the Knight replied with a sleepy yawn. "No worries, a good night's rest should fix me right up."

"But…"

"I said I'm fine, Fate-chan."

Losing my self-control today really opened my eyes. I knew full well that Carim did her best for me, but I never really acknowledged just how far she'd go for me. I could have really hurt her this morning and to spare my feelings she played it off saying didn't hurt, but I heard her cries of pain there was no doubt in my mind she felt every little bit of whatever it was I threw at her. The image of Carim's anguished face gnawed at me; my tears had blocked my vision and prevented me from seeing her face, what would I feel if I actually saw it though?

Carim hid her pain behind a cheerful and clumsy mask, but I can see it manifest in her simple everyday actions. The way she'd rub her chest, squirm in her seat when she leans back, the evident difference between the strength in her left and right arm, even the way she rubs her forehead tells me a brief story of the pain she had been put through. She's as stubborn as a mule and refuses to give me an inch; even Hayate has trouble getting her to tell the truth.

"Where did I go wrong?" Hayate's words rang in my ear like a crystal bell.

I knew the Knight modelled herself after the brunette, she idolized her after all but Hayate was the most secretive person I know, she hid everything with a cheerful smile and a warm soothing laugh. They were both strong, but I wish they would open up more… just because I'm small doesn't mean I can't understand.

"She's as hard-headed as me!" the brunette's angry roar silenced my thoughts at once.

Did that make Carim strong? I wonder this every now and then when she leaves me in the dark. I understand that she needs to be as sturdy as an oak tree for my sake, but is it really that bad to show weakness? She's human isn't she? I try my best to stay honest with her, I tell her about my bullies, my insecurities, even my fears, I tell Carim everything there is about me, yet when it comes to her all I ever get in return is that damned mask!

I want to be strong for Carim's sake.

But how?

How do you become strong for somebody who stands taller than the Tree of Life?

I don't even know where to begin… how do I match up to someone so amazing?

Carim put so much undeserved faith in me, how could she be so tolerant of tiny runt? There were other more qualifying orphans than me, so why? I did nothing to deserve this special treatment from the Church and the TSAB… someone more worthy should be in my place.

"_I wasn't special or all that talented compared to the other children in Hayate-sama's care. I wasn't even the best looking."_

That was it. Finally the answer that had eluded me for so long.

Grabbing a fist full of hair, I silently growled. I tightened my grip tearing out a clump of hair accidentally, having them ripped out like that stung a little but I paid it no mind. My foolishness made that pain a reality, the curse of my childish nature plagued my actions.

My head was beginning to hurt again and that sickening sensation welled within the pit of my stomach.

"We should get ready for work, I'm sure Beatrix misses you." Carim's sweet voice drifted into my ears. "Fate-chan? Hey, what are you up to?"

"I understand now…"

"Huh?"

I unclenched my hand and allowed the loose hairs to drift quietly to the ground. The strange sensation faded back as my clarity returned. Looking up at the Knight who stared down at me with worry and concern, I gave her a genuine smile.

"Fate-chan, what do you understand?" Carim walked back to my side and knelt down; she grabbed both of my hands and pulled them forward. "Sweetie, what's on your mind now?"

"Thank you for everything, Carim-san."

"Um, you're welcome?"

I took my hands back and placed them on the Knight's rosy cheeks, she quirked an eyebrow attempting to say something but chose to remain silent. Leaning down to her eye level, I touched our foreheads and took in a deep breath inhaling Carim's sweet scent.

"You do so much for me, but I rarely ever return the favour… I need to change that."

"Fate-chan did you hit your head or something? You're talking a little funny."

"No," I giggled. "For once I'm finally making sense."

"Then would you mind explaining to me then?"

"I don't have any memories of my life before you. I don't know my name, my real age, who my parents were, or even where I came from all I know is that that life is over. My world revolves around you, Carim-san. You are my everything and without you I'd be lost. I'd just be another orphan under Church care."

"Fate-… chan?"

"Please, I beg of you, be more honest with me." I pleaded in a humbled voice. "I know everything I've done so far was selfish, asking you to train me even though you were against it, I even begged you to treat me the way the Church treated you. That was cruel of me…"

Carim pulled away from me and stood up, the shadow she casted was overwhelming but off in the corner I could see my own shadow poking out from behind her's.

"My request from before, please forget it!" I stood up abruptly startling the blonde. "I want Carim-san to raise me the way she wants to, the way Hayate-san did!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa slow down a little here," Carim scratched her head and crossed her arms, her back was as straight and her eyes burned with a strange new intensity. "You're still not making any sense."

I sighed and said, "My selfishness, I understand it now. All I've done so far was lead you around with my stupid little whims. You've done everything I asked you to do, but whenever you asked me to do something I always struggled against it."

"That isn't true! You've always complied with my requests."

"I want to become a Knight!"

"Again with this? I know already, that's why I'm training you."

"Back then I only wanted to become a Knight to follow in your footsteps, because I didn't know any better, but now I'm certain about this. I want to become a Knight and walk by your side and not in your shadow."

"I… I don't know what to say."

"Look," I pointed to our shadows. Carim's was a little taller than mine, but they were relatively the same height. "This is what I want to become. I want to become your equal."

"…?"

"Carim-san, today made me realize how much of a child I still am. I hurt you because I couldn't get my way, never again. I swear it; from this day forth I refuse to be a spoiled child."

The indecipherable mask I detested shattered. My beloved Knight stared down at me with wide eyes, her mouth slightly agape.

"You were struggling to overcome the same things I'm going through now; you distanced yourself away from the person you loved just because you felt inadequate. At first I felt the same, I questioned why the Church placed me in your care every single day, but even though you could have had a better charge than me, you still chose to stay by my side. You chose me just like Hayate-san did."

"I wish I could tell you the reason why the Church keeps a look out for you," Carim sighed heavily, her lips forming a thin line. "All I tell you is that you're a very special little girl. There is no one else like you; no one has potential like you."

"Thank you," the Knight relaxed a little, it seems she caught on to what I was trying to explain. "I don't want to do what you did. I want to stay by your side for as long as possible. Spending my days living and laughing with you is all I want."

"I'd like that, too, Fate-chan."

"Becoming a Knight is important, but I'd like to start taking my time to reach that goal. I want to live my life normally from now on if possible."

"Really?" the hopeful look in Carim's eyes was priceless. She must have dreaded the training she put me through.

"Yes really, I just want to be a normal little girl living with her kind big sister."

Tears began to form in the edges of Carim's eyes, the smile she had on her face was brighter than the sun. I finally understand everything she had been telling me. There's no rush, no pressure. I can grow up at my own pace.

I looked at the palm of my and smiled. This hand was small and still a little shaky, but it won't be like that forever.

One day at a time…

"Huh?" I noticed a strange hair amidst the discarded strands from earlier. I picked them up and inspected the peculiar hair carefully. "It's too short to be one of Carim-san's."

"Too short to be one of my what now?" Carim quipped as she wiped away her tears. "Is that a hair?"

"Yeah it is," I held it up and compared it to one of the others. "It's identical to my hair though…"

"Eh? Maybe your head's way of telling you that you're spending too much time with me!" the Knight let out a light hearted laugh and ruffled my hair. She rummaged through my locks longer than usual as if she was looking for something. "I wonder if there's more?"

"I doubt it, there's no way I'd be turning blonde."

No way at all…


	14. Eve of the War

I looked up at the dreary night sky with tears in my eyes, the country I loved so dearly was under siege by a demon with infinite power. I never thought the day would come when the Queen and the Goddess Wisdom would order their Knights and soldiers to arms, but here we were preparing to lay our lives down.

We settled ourselves in a large field with a cliff hanging above. This little piece of Belkan territory was far from civilization and our amenities were very humbling. There was a small watering hole a near the encampment about three hours away on foot, but no one dared leave for it. Resources had been brought to our location by the very Gods we worshipped, so in spite of our hardships morale was very high. You probably wouldn't find a rowdier bunch in all of Mid-childa!

All around me were tiny, provisional tents that housed three or four weary soldiers. My eyes couldn't count how many exactly, but I estimated at roughly over a thousand. Several hundred barrel fires sporadically lined the makeshift streets illuminating them with a somewhat sombre beauty. In the middle of the encampment was a stunning bonfire, my army gathered around it singing, laughing and dancing. They were enjoying a magnificent feast and the finest drink to be had in all of Mid-Childa; this is their night after all. Drying my tears, I turned away from the celebration and headed back to my own tent.

"You should be down there with them," I growled at myself angrily.

"I agree."

I quickly turned around nearly tripping over my cape, "Who goes!?"

"Who goes indeed?" A beautiful woman of average height leaned against the tree beside my tent, her arms crossed beneath her ample bust. I sighed in relief when I realized who was speaking.

"Wisdom," I said with a hearty chuckle, "I wasn't expecting to see you here, I figured you be down there with the rest of our men."

The Goddess smiled coyly at me and waved her hand dismissing my allegation. "I wanted to see how my dear friend was holding up. You look ill, have you eaten at all today?"

"A small meal at the beginning of the day, nothing after that I'm afraid," I blushed humbly and kicked a tiny stone over to her. Wisdom kicked it back and we continued to volley it back and forth in comfortable silence.

I eyed the immortal through half lidded eyes; she looked stunning in her form fitting black dress. She was well groomed and looked very elegant with her silver hair tied up. A stray lock slipped through the flower barrette keeping her hair in place. Smiling shyly at her I kick the rock once more and broke the silence.

"You look lovely tonight," I rubbed my palms together nervously and straightened my back. Walking up the ethereal being, I summoned all of my courage and tucked the loose strand behind her ear. "Did you design the dress yourself?"

"Thank you, Fate." The blue-eyed Goddess nodded her head, a faint blush on her cheeks, and said, "I needed something special for tonight, it isn't everyday that I bid this many of my children farewell."

A depressed sigh escaped her lips as she stared down at the bonfire. I could see the pain etched in her relaxed expression, she hated conflict and tried to avoid it whenever possible but this war was out of her control.

"It'll be alright," I offered her a hopeful smile. "Lady Olivie is going to be out there with us."

"She can't protect everyone." The silver haired woman stated.

"Wisdom, no… Mother, my words alone cannot do much, but if it means anything I'll try and bring as many back home to you." I dropped to my knees and crossed a tightly clenched fist over my heart. I raised my head back up and saw that the Goddess had vanished. "Huh?"

Slender arms wrapped around my shoulders possessively giving me quite the start. "I need _you_ to come back home, too, please I beg of you be careful out there when you face _her_."

"My whole life was spent preparing me for this day," I held Wisdom's small, trembling hands and stroked them with my thumb to sooth her, "Forty-five years, Mother… I've waited so long to finally meet her again; my heart can barely contain itself."

"She isn't the woman you remember," a soft cheek nuzzled against mine, the warmth emitting from that simple gesture reminded me of my childhood and the days I had spent in Wisdom's gentle arms. "My sister has forgotten who she is, I doubt even your love will bring back her to us."

I tightened my grip on her hands, the fear dwelling in my heart was as clear as day there was no use in hiding it from the woman who created me.

"Fear will only hold us back, Mother… I need to do this."

"Love has terrorized this planet for so long, no one remembers her as the gentle mother of all… even I've started to forget a little."

"I haven't forgotten," I stated firmly.

Wisdom and I stayed like that for who knows how long. Many thoughts ran around my head like a confused herd of lemmings, however, my problems couldn't possibly compare to the ones the Goddess holding me was having. I wished with all my might for a way to calm her down, but with my own head so jumbled there was nothing I could do.

"There are only a few hours left," I urged the other woman to stand up. "Let's head down and join the others even for a moment."

"I'd like that," she answered with a sad smile. "I'd like that a lot."

I offered her my arm and escorted her down the path leading to the encampment. We were greeted by many eager soldiers who struggled to make themselves presentable on the spot. A lot were spitting into her hands to wipe away the dirt that covered their faces, a handful poured their drinks on their heads just to hide their stench. We had been stationed here defending the main city for a month; hygiene was… a difficult task to maintain to say the least.

Wisdom released me and told me to sit down with my army while she mingled. I quickly found an open space near the bonfire and sat in the mud with my comrades. Plate after plate was pushed onto me as well as a gigantic goblet filled with fragrant brandy, I began eating and drinking to my heart's content.

A mighty roar thundered through the clouds alerting us to the slowly descending behemoth. The winds began to pick up as the beast lowered itself to the ground. We all looked up in awe and cheered as loudly as we could.

The Sankt Kaiser, Olivie Segbrecht, had finally arrived!

One man, who I recognized as almost immediately, stood up and hailed the dragon with great vigor. Claus Ingvalt was his name I believe; he was a close friend of Lady Olivie's, but I suspected they were more than that. The dragon responded with another deafening shout causing the light haired man to fall to his knees. One by one my army followed his example; I remained seated with a piece of roasted chicken in my mouth.

I waved my hand in the air forgetting that I held a half-eaten drumstick in it. I blushed furiously and brought it down behind my back, but the blunder had not gone unnoticed. The dragon that loomed over the encampment just a moment ago now stood in front of me in a much different form.

"How much have you had to drink, Fate?" Olivie asked rather threateningly, her mismatched eyes burrowing deep into my soul. I pointed over to the goblet and sheepishly raised up four fingers. "That chalice is larger than your head, how did you manage to drink that much without exploding?"

Unable to think of a decent comeback I hung my head in shame.

"Now, now leave the poor woman alone Oli," Wisdom piped up. She walked over to the other immortal and draped her arms around the blonde's shoulders. "Would you face your mother sober? Because I wouldn't."

"Point taken," the Queen grumbled in defeat. "But!"

"Oh dear…"

"Hatchling, stand up," I quickly did as told, but in my haste I stumbled back like a drunkard. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

I squinted my eyes and tried to focus on Olivie's hand, but I was having difficulties figure out which one was the real one. "Uh, zero?" was my not so witty reply.

"Correct!" she chirped giddily.

A fist immediately homed into my face knocking me a couple feet away. I skidded to a slow stop; my body had dug itself into the soft dirt. The pain was intense, but I could finally see straight again.

"Olivie, what on earth are you doing!?" Wisdom screeched in terror. "The only thing Fate has going for her is her good looks, if you ruin that she'll be useless for the rest of her life!"

I could hear my army burst out laughing, but I deserved it I guess. Shaming one's self in front of not only one god, but two, was definitely not something a high ranking Knight could live down.

"Did I over do it?" the dragon asked cautiously.

"Just a little," Claus said with a hearty guffaw.

I pulled myself out of the hole and waved off her concern. The pain was intolerable; it brought tears to my eyes. When was the last time Olivie hit me that hard I wonder? I couldn't recall a time she ever used that much force.

"Can you stand up straight at least?" I heard her ask me with evident amusement in her words. Holding my head up high, I puffed out my chest and replied with a rather rude gesture. "Yep, she's fine!"

A couple hours passed by us and the party had finally died down. It was hard to tell what time it was exactly, but I assumed it was around 3am or a little later than that. Olivie, Wisdom and I sat on the cliff's edge with a cup in hand. I sat in between the two immortals without a care in the world. We watched the quiet flickering of the fires below and talked about whatever came to mind.

Wisdom had been talking about building a new city in East Mid-Childa centered around the development of more advanced technology. Olivie and I gave our full support, but we both found it a little difficult to imagine anything beyond the devices she had already invented.

Olivie on the other hand spoke about updating the Saint Church doctrine, but was at a loss on what to add. Almost all of Mid-Childa for hundreds of generations followed that doctrine; it would be hard to add more to it without ruffling feathers.

I didn't have much to say and if there was the two beside me would already know it. My actions in the Knighthood were well known and I often had to report to them directly.

"Are you still scared?" the blonde haired goddess asked me. I hesitantly nodded my head and took a sip of my liquor to calm my nerves. "It's okay to be you know, even I'm scared to look her in the eyes."

"This isn't how I remember your mother Olivie," I sighed. "She used to be so kind and she loved you so much, I still can't picture her ever laying a hand on you. I still remember the day you first entered this world, her face lit up like the night sky on New Year's Eve."

The dragon straightened her back and looked away; I understood it was hard for her to see the Smiling Maiden as anything other than the murderous devil she is now.

"M-Mama's still in there… somewhere," she started slowly. "But I've been fighting her for so long I'm starting to lose hope. I mean look what I've resorted to?"

I blushed in embarrassment and took another healthy swig; I was running out of brandy.

"H-Hey, let's not forget my involvement in this," Wisdom chuckled awkwardly, "But we really didn't have many options left. I'm just glad it worked the third time around."

"I'm sorry for putting you both through this…"

"Don't thank us," Olivie barked, her face was almost as red as mine. "Just… don't fail tomorrow, okay?"

"I'll do my best."

Wisdom threw her arms around me and kissed my cheek several times, "Bring Love back to us okay, iguana breath?"

"You haven't changed at all have you, Trickster?" I growled playfully.

I pulled the two women into a big hug and thanked them both for bringing me into this world and giving me another chance to be with the woman whom I've spent an eternity yearning for.

"We should get some rest, today is the big day."


	15. Arc 3: Chapter 3 part 1

**The Railgun**: Chapter three is finally here! It's taken us this long but we've done it and kudos to whoever managed to stay with us this for this long. It'll pick up eventually, I promise!

So quite a few readers were confused about that last update called 'Eve of the War'. If you've noticed it was put under a title rather than the usual one we have. Simply put it's a small story based on a past incarnation of The Great Dragon, Courage and her fight against the Goddess Love. There we see how close Wisdom, Olivie and Courage still are and how desperate they are to bring Love back to her senses... obviously they failed gloriously cause in present time Love is still destroying everything. There will be more information about the war itself in later chapters, but for now that little piece shall suffice. There will be more shorts like Eve of the War coming, but it will be far and few. **  
**

Almost 50k words and the first book isn't even close to finishing, hell we're not even close to significant plot segments!

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**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

**Arc 3: A Liar's World: Olivie and the Garden of Eden**

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**III**

**Part 1 of 4**

The Vows We Take

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'_That dream again?'_ I looked up at the ceiling with the back of my hand resting on my forehead. The unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach churned as memories of the dream replayed. _'I think I'm studying too much.'_ Sliding my hand down to hide my eyes from the blinding morning light, I shifted my weight to my right and tried to go back to sleep.

I spent a couple minutes tossing and turning before finally giving up. I was always a light sleeper, once I woke up that was that. Pushing the covers off of my body, I lurched forward and slumped down slowly. I may not be able to go back to sleep, but it didn't mean I wasn't the least bit tired.

Carim was probably awa—never mind, she's still asleep.

The Knight was sprawled on her bed like a lazy starfish without a care in the world. Her mouth was agape with a smidgeon of drool hanging off of her bottom lip. The covers hung off of her body haphazardly revealing Carim's well toned tummy and thin waist, the nightdress she wore to sleep had ridden up well past her ribcage. I shook my head disapprovingly and reached over to pull it down; I yanked down as quickly as I could to avoid waking the Knight, but in my haste I failed to notice the sweat that accumulated on her forehead.

"Huh?" Leaving the gown alone, I moved my hand over to her forehead and felt it. "You've got a fever haven't you?" I said to the slumbering woman. I brushed away her wet bangs and touched her hot cheek, Carim was definitely sick.

I crawled over to the teen's side of the bed and positioned her in a more dignified position. I pulled the covers over her body and tucked her in. The blanket was a little thin but it would have to do for now, Diam summers were a little unreliable.

Getting off of the beds, I hurried to the kitchen and began my morning routine. Ever since Carim and I agreed to hold off on the training, she had started to sleep in a little more forgoing even her own training to remain fair to me. I didn't mind this lifestyle, I enjoyed it actually. Carim indulged my every whim and allowed me to change things so easily.

It didn't take me long to finish up in the kitchen and clean up after myself. I made Carim her coffee and a small breakfast for us. Carim mumbled something in her sleep just now, but knowing her it was probably about Hayate.

Speaking of the general, she said she would come visit us soon, but her 'soon' would often become later or never. Carim tried to hide it from me, but I could tell she missed the other woman. I missed her, too, but I mostly missed the smiles she brought on with her simple presence.

I dipped a cloth in some cold water and wringed it out with all my might. Whenever I got sick Carim would always put a cold cloth on my forehead to help bring the fever down.

"I wonder if this is cold enough?" I asked myself curiously. This was the first time I had seen Carim sick, she was always so full of energy I thought she was immune to everything.

"Idiots don't catch colds!" is what she would say, but I guess this disproves her theory… not that I think Carim is an idiot, she's just a little strange. Just a little.

Finally satisfied with the temperature of the cloth, I trotted back to my bed and hopped on. The springs pushed me up for a little bounce, but I quickly regained my composure and crawled over to Carim's side. The Knight tossed and turned in her sleep, discomfort written all over her flustered face.

"This'll help cool you down," I whispered quietly.

With the back of my gently hand brushing away her bangs, I laid the cold towel across her forehead. Carim's face scrunched up at first, but she relaxed soon after with a content sigh. The deep blush that painted her face completely red was also starting to lighten up.

Carim opened her eyes a little and smiled at me, she pulled the covers up her nose and said, "Thank you, Fate-chan. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"No trouble at all, Carim-san." I answered her eagerly. Carim looked at me through half lidded eyes, the sleep still very evident in them. "I still can't believe you got sick today of all days!"

"N-Nyahaha… I'm sorry."

"Oh well what can you do?" I said shrugging my shoulders.

A yawn escaped my guardian's lips, "I'm still a little sleepy."

"Then go back to sleep please," I readjusted her washcloth before getting off of the bed. "It's still pretty early and we don't have to tend to the flower shop, so sleep in all day if you'd like."

"But you're already awake; I have to go make breakfast!" Carim exclaimed with a yawn following shortly after.

"It's okay," I chuckled softly. "I've taken care of it already. I even made you your coffee; it'll be waiting for you when you get up."

"Fate-chan, thank you…"

I shook my head and pulled open a drawer. I fished around in it for a minute and pulled out a light blue dress. It was one of my plainer dresses, it didn't have any frills or intricate designs, but it was one of my favourites. I discarded my nightgown and slid on the dress. The garter belt that rested below my meager bust felt a little tight. I didn't gain any weight recently and I haven't grown all that much either. Maybe the dress shrunk in the wash?

After getting dressed I checked on Carim and saw her sleeping soundly. She looked peaceful and didn't seem to have any trouble breathing. Often at night I'd wake up to the sound of her wheezing and coughing, she told me that it was one of the after-effects of her injury. Carim said it wasn't anything to worry about, but that still didn't stop me from it.

My stomach grumbled telling me that it was about time I ate. I wasn't in the mood for anything too fancy today, eggs and toast was more than enough for me. Beside my plate was a tall glass of milk, I still had high hopes that drinking it would help me grow, but so far results were unresponsive.

I ate in silence while keeping a sharp eye on the slumbering blonde. Nothing seemed to be out of the norm since the last time I checked; maybe I can go out for a bit?

The eggs tasted pretty good in my opinion, I tried out a new recipe the lady on the first floor told me about. I cut a red bell pepper into ringlets and fried them in some butter, and when they were nice and warm I cracked open some eggs and put them in the pepper rings. It looked really cute! Carim was going to love it.

I finished my meal and chugged down the milk as fast as I could without choking. After a satisfying sigh, I decided it was about time I cleaned up. It didn't take me all that long, a couple minutes and a quick dry was all it took. I made sure to wipe the counters clean and covered up Carim's breakfast with a lid to keep it warm.

There was a notepad and a pencil taped onto the fridge for little memos. We used it as a doodle pad most of the time, but we put important things on it sometimes, too! I peeled the pencil off of the fridge and began to scribble a small message to Carim on the paper.

_Going out for a bit, be back soon. - Fate_

An itch on the back of my head alerted me to the atrocious state my hair was in. I rushed into the bathroom and searched for a brush. Running it under some hot water I began to groom myself meticulously. Once I was comfortable with the way I looked I stepped out of the bathroom and made my way to the front door, I slipped on my running shoes and grabbed the keys.

I never really left the apartment without Carim by my side, my fear of people and crowds still forced me to hold my breath and shrink back, but I've progressed a little and can go out in the early hours all by myself. There weren't many people out this early in the day, only a few joggers and dog walkers wandered about. It was perfect for me.

"Good morning, child!" The old lady from the apartment next door waved at me as she passed by with her dog. I returned the gesture with a smile; she was always kind to me despite not knowing my name or who I was.

"Good morning!" I greeted back with a wave. It was a little difficult raising my voice, but I couldn't stay this soft-spoken forever.

"You're looking lively my dear," she shouts out with a chuckle.

Nodding my head, "Today is my guardian's birthday and a lot of people are coming over to celebrate."

"How old is that charming girl anyways?"

"She'll be nineteen today!" It struck me as unusual saying Carim's age out loud. Her body may have looked young, but when looking in her eyes I saw someone much more mature. She's an old soul as Hayate puts it. I know she went through a lot in such a short lifetime, but I can't get passed the feeling that Carim is older than she says she is.

Chuckling once more, the woman asks, "What did you get her for her birthday? I'm sure it's a wonderful present."

"Uhh…" I didn't get Carim anything yet, I was planning on finding something now actually. "I… made her… something…" A small white lie never hurt anyone… right?

"Those are the best presents—oh Wimbleton, stop barking and hush. Can't you see I'm having a conversation?" the dog continued to bark and pull on his leash. "I guess it can't be helped, you silly boy. I'm sorry but I have to go, this moody boy wants to go for his walk."

"I understand, go on thank you for saying hello."

"Wish your Angel a happy birthday for me, please?"

"I will."

It wasn't uncommon to call a Saint Church Knight an 'Angel'. Civilians believed Knights had divine abilities bestowed upon them by the Goddesses, but in truth they are decedents of their children and receive no god given powers other than the magic passed down to them through their bloodline. In fact if what Carim says is true, there is no 'holy power' only the ability to control or augment one's strength and/or surroundings.

Every magic user has the blood of a goddess; however, with every generation that blood gets diluted resulting in weaker mages or people with no magic at all. Carim tried to explain this to me during a lesson; unfortunately it went into one ear and left through the other. I should have paid closer attention.

Mulling over what to get Carim for her birthday, I found myself walking towards the local park. This was the place the local children came to play after school hours or on weekends. It was very popular since there was an ice-cream parlor right across, though it wasn't as good as Gemini Twist. Amuro and his gang hang out here frequently in silly attempts of playing hooky from school.

Ah, and speak of the devil there they are…

"Oi, Tristan, can you believe that stupid teacher tried to give _us_ homework?" Amuro kicked the grass in misguided anger. "We have better things to do than learn what five plus thirty-seven is."

The boys wandered around the park with Amuro in the lead. They were waving around sticks and pretending they were swords and attacked each other with them. I found it rather barbaric and stupid, their form was pathetic and their swings had no strength.

"When will we ever need to learn how to add?"

"That's kind of…" I wonder why I walked up to them. "Stupid."

Amuro's face blanched the moment he saw me. His face contorted from anger to disgust. "What do you want? No girls allowed in this park."

"I'm not here to start a fight with you, Amuro-kun. I'm just passing by."

"Then move it and scram, no one wants you here." The boy's words were harsh, but I paid no mind to them. Amuro was all talk and no bite; I've grown used to his little jabs. "Scram runt, get lost!" These were things I had heard many times before from a wide assortment of people.

Shaking my head in exasperation, "You should take your studies more seriously, Amuro-kun. Math is an integral part of life."

"Che, who asked you little-miss-Church-brat?"

"Your insults might land a more effective hit if you—"

"Why are you children not in school?" a deep feminine voice asked.

Amuro and his friends stood still watching curiously as the person who called out to us appeared from behind the large oak tree. The clothes she wore were peculiar even for a traveller. She wore a long white hooded cloak that covered her from head to toe. She had pulled her hood down when she stepped out into the light to show us her face. She was a beautiful woman, who appeared to be in her mid twenties with long magenta hair tied in a high ponytail. She had a charming smile that entranced me, I felt I had seen that smile many times before but this was my first time ever meeting this person.

"School doesn't interest us, lady." Tristan said trying to act tough in front of his friends. He grinned broadly as the two boys snickered. He waved his stick around in front of her causing the stranger to look at him oddly.

"School is important," she said crossing her arms. "You can't neglect your studies like you do this girl's feelings."

Walking up to me, Amuro pointed his finger and growled, "Tch, so you're on her side, too?"

"Hm," shaking her head, the woman continued to smile. "It isn't right for you to pick on her. You should learn that some battles just cannot be won, and a battle against this girl shall always end as a loss."

"What are you talking about you crazy auntie?"

"Yeah, what do you know?"

"Amuro-kun, please stop…"

"Shut up, waka-wakame!" I hadn't expected such a lame insult; my defences are down! "We'll say and do what we want!"

"Ach mein Gott, kids these days sure are rowdy," The woman's eyes narrowed in my direction, her smile fading. "And mind you, this girl doesn't resemble 'wakame' but rather a black forest cake with two blueberries for toppings."

"…" Was this really happening? _'… why won't everyone just leave me alone!?' _

The rowdy boys began to laugh out loud; the lame jokes were definitely something they found amusing. I glared at the woman and fumed, she had just met me and she had the audacity to insult me? Who does she think she is?

Amuro fell to the ground, his arms wrapped around his belly as he laughed and laughed. "Black forest cake, oh man that's good!"

"None of that was funny." I muttered under my breath.

"I see you still lack a sense of humor," the woman ran her hand through her bangs to clear them out of her eyes. "You're a stick in the mud just like in the good old days, Testarossa. I'm glad you haven't changed much."

'_Testarossa?'_ What an odd name I thought.

"Hm, I don't remember you ever being this cute though," the strange said with a rather disgruntled expression.

"Ahaha, this girl isn't cute!" Amuro and his gang burst out laughing. "The girls at school are way prettier than her!"

"If all the girls are prettier at school, why are you here with her instead of pestering them?" The woman's voice was colder than steel and her words stung like antiseptic. She remained stoic as she spoke those harsh words.

"The girls at school aren't this much fun to tease."

My fists trembled as their laughter got louder. Didn't Carim warn them about taunting me? I'm stronger than I was before, I can take them…

"Boy, you aren't very honest with your feelings are you?" Amuro stopped laughing and stood up straight. "Tell me what do you have against her? Is it because she looks different than the people in this city or is it because you fancy her?"

"Fancy her…?"

"Un, you like this girl don't you?"

The nameless boy that never really caused me trouble stormed up to the lady and stood ready to defend his friend. "There's no way Amuro-kun likes her!" he roared with gritted teeth.

"Do you like her?" The boy blushed heavily. "Bingo."

"I-I… uh, no!"

Unable to stand their bickering any longer, I turned on my heels and ran away as fast as I could. I refused to look back and see their taunting faces. My feet carried me away like a flash of lightning, I felt like a blur in motion.

Turning a sharp corner I believed my escape to be certain, but my path was blocked by a familiar stranger. She grinned at me, amusement shining in her sharp eyes.

"You're quite fast; Carim's been training you well." She said with a cool tone. "However, you could be faster. Faster than the wind, no faster than the speed of sound! But the way you are now is no good. The teacher you have now is no good."

"What are you talking about?" I snarled. I didn't like this lady one bit; something about her told me she was dangerous. "Carim-san is an amazing teacher!"

"That she is, but she isn't the teacher for you. She's more of a…" she paused and hummed, "a _babysitter_."

"I won't stand for any slander against my guardian," I glared at the pink haired woman, fuming on the inside but remaining calm on the outside. "I owe everything to her, so whatever you say will not shake my loyalty."

"Tossing the word 'loyalty' towards a coward like Carim Gracia is blasphemous!"

"Blasphemous?"

The woman chuckled and shook her head with a sigh at the end. "That woman willingly gave up her magic because she was scared she'd hurt someone innocent. The destruction she caused when she tapped into her true powers left a blistering scar on the world. Instead of accepting the Goddess Wisdom's help to control it, she turned tail and ran away like a scared little mouse."

"Carim-san would never run away!"

"Running away is all the girl can do. Honestly I'm surprised she doesn't trip on the way."

"Stop it! I refuse to hear anymore of your lies!" I knew my guardian would never do such a thing, never in a million years would Carim turn her back away from what was right. "Carim-san may not be as powerful as she once was, but power isn't what being a Knight is about."

"Oh?" the pink haired woman crossed her arms below her ample bust and tilted her head back, her grin remaining unchanged.

"A Knight is about justice and hope. They are the beacons of light the terrified civilians desperately search for in this bleak era. The might a Knight wields doesn't have to be of the sword, but rather a weapon made of kindness."

"O-Okay… what exactly has that Coffee-Maniac been telling you?"

"Be quiet you! Someone who doesn't know how to respect a Knight shouldn't even be able to speak to me!"

"Oh ho, someone's got spunk. That's a new trait."

"I don't know much about Carim-san's past and I don't want to overstep my boundaries by asking her such questions." I clutched my fist and gritted my teeth willing my anger to subside. "But what I do know is that she's been with me every step since the incident that wiped out my memories. She's given me a new home, new hope, a new strength, but most importantly she's given me a family to call my own. To me that sort of kindness is what a Knight is truly about."

"You have a very high opinion of Knights, but you're still too young to know what they really do." The woman raised her left arm revealing something I never would have expected. A saber holstered in a scabbard with the words '_Absit Reverentia Vero' _inscribed.

"Y-You're a…."

"That's right, I am a Knight just like Carim—no, I am of a much higher rank." Brandishing her sword, the Knight's grin fell to scowl. "Grand Champion Signum Gottschalk the Wandering Flame."

"I…" was speechless. Standing before me was a Grand Champion, a rank nearly impossible to obtain.

Signum pointed her blade at me and asked, "What say now child?"

"Simple, I refuse to bow down to you."

"Oh?"

"A knight who uses their rank to bully others isn't worthy of respect."

"Reality isn't all roses and fluffy puppies; you have yet to see the dark underbelly life has."

"I can see the world for what it is, but Carim-san has shown me that the world is something still worth believing in. And it's pathetic that you've become so pessimistic."

Signum was taken aback by my words; I saw a brief smile on her face before the stoic Knight returned to her senses. Sheathing her sword, Sigum began to clap her hands applauding me. She let out a mirthful chuckle as I stared up at her awkwardly.

"Did I say something funny?" I asked her slightly perturbed by the knight's laughter.

"It's refreshing to see someone so young be so full of moral integrity." The pink haired knight's laughter died down, but the smile on her face remained. "I can see why that lone wolf keeps you around."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Huh?"


	16. Arc 3: Chapter 3 part 2

**Railgun**: Sorry for the late update, I know it's been a while but at least I updated… unlike HiraYui who likes to keep everything she writes in eternal limbo. I've been working hard on trying to convince her to update a couple Team GEMINI stories, but as it stands I think a lot of things shall remain halted.

Now a couple things have been brought to my attention.

1. There is a chance the story will get another rewrite changing it into a third person perspective instead of the current one. This change will probably not take place, but I have been told to stay tentative on the subject.

2. Our beta-reader, Jokulhaup, has finally decided to get off of his butt and edit things. But Alsatia is a very hefty project and currently holds the most content in all of Team GEMINI's history (it's also probably the only one that resembled an actually story).

3. The Arcs and chapter titles will probably be taken out very soon since they serve no real purpose.

**That about does it… I think. Oh um, I think people are still confused about the little non-chapter before Chapter 3 started. To clear things up it is an event that occurred in Alsatia's chronology that took place in Mid-Childa's past. It is depicting the Belkan war which all three Goddess (Love, Wisdom and Olivie) participated in. **

**The non-chapter's purpose is merely a dream Fate has after a gruelling history lesson. The events really happened, but whether Fate was actually there shall remain up to you, the reader, for now. Just remember that it was a dream and nothing more. **

One more thing. ThePanicHour gets a brohoof for getting the 69th review. I was really hoping someone would comment about it and lo and behold! To say the least I am quite happy with this.

* * *

**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

**Arc 3: A Liar's World: Olivie and the Garden of Eden**

**III**

**Part 2 of 4**

The Vows We Take

* * *

"Huh?"

I took a couple steps away from the Knight, weary of her overbearing presence. Something about this stranger scared me. It wasn't because she pointed her weapon at me or chased me down, that didn't faze me much to my surprise. The way she carried herself was very familiar, I couldn't pinpoint it exactly but I had seen her somewhere before. Signum herself didn't scare me, I felt safe around her actually, but this feeling of dejavu unnerved which lead to my unexplained fear.

"Have we met before?" My question came out slow and hesitant.

Signum raised an eyebrow curiously; the smirk on her face fell as she answered my question. "We have not official met, but you and I go way back."

"That doesn't make any sense," I snarled. "Just who are you and what do you want from me?"

Shrugging the pink haired woman readjusted her cloak and collar. I watched her attentively and kept my distance. She saw through my defences and smirked, the ego behind that smile made me seethe in anger. There was nothing I detested more than undeserved pride.

"I shouldn't say," Signum replied coldly.

"Please…"

"You and I were very close in a former life," the Knight fiddled with her bangs and to my surprise blushed. "Judging by the look of hostility in your eyes you don't remember me."

_What was she talking about, could she be speaking of my life before the Church!?_

"If we met in a past life then of course I wouldn't remember you," I barked with an unsteady voice. "This is stupid."

_Wait, does she mean my life before the marble pillar?_

"It's okay, just knowing you're alive and well puts me at ease."

"D-Do you know who I really am?" I walked up to her, closing the distance between us, and tugged on her cloak. "Do you know anything about me before I got taken in by the Church?"

The tall Knight knelt down to my height and patted my head; she smiled and stared deeply into my eyes. I could see so much in her melancholic expression, but the reason behind it left me bewildered and curious. Who exactly is this woman and what was she to me? Question after question popped into my head like tiny gophers poking around in intricate tunnels, and the more I thought about it the more I was left wondering.

"I see hope in your eyes…"

I clenched my jaw and looked away ashamed.

"Unfortunately I speak of a life that never directly belonged to you," Signum caressed my cheek with her thumb; this was something Carim did to me whenever I felt anxious or scared. "I cannot speak more of this matter as I have been sworn to secrecy, but just be patient Testarossa and everything will make sense. Just give it time."

My eyes shut slowly I enjoyed the older woman's touch. She was a complete stranger, but she spoke to me as if I had known her for aeons.

_"Your life will never be the same,"_ a sorrowful voice rang in my head. _"One day you'll wake up and realize this, but when that day comes I swear I will never let you down."_

Fluttering my eyes open the image of a beautiful young blonde with apologetic mismatched eyes came into view. She smiled ruefully not saying a word; she merely stared at me with her clawed hand resting at the nape of my neck. The woman was beautiful beyond words and held a regal presence making me shudder in inferiority, but she also looked very kind and understanding.

"Where is Carim now?" I shook my head and blinked feverishly when I saw Signum again. "Is everything okay?"

"Um, yeah…" Even though I said I was okay, I most definitely was not. Ever since I awakened my powers strange things have been happening. My surroundings constantly shifted and I was seeing people who weren't really there.

"Are you sure?" she asked again.

I nodded my head, "Yes I'm sure, what was your question again?"

"Where's Carim?"

"She's back home with a fever; I wanted to let her rest in peace so I went out to find her a proper birthday present."

The pink haired Knight cupped her chin and nodded her head slowly, she sighed and stood back up flipping her hair in frustration. "And here I thought idiots didn't catch colds," she muttered under her breath. "Look, is there any chance you can escort me back to your abode? I have a message for that troublesome girl."

"I have no problem with that, but we're pretty far away."

"You ran away quite admirably," a ghost of a smile graced the handsome Knight's face. "Shall we then?"

"Would you mind if we stopped by a store so I can pick up a present first?"

"I see no problem with that."

I pointed off to the direction we had to go and she quietly agreed. The people who walked passed us looked worried and rather frightened. Even though Carim and I lived a quiet life here in Diam, we were still quite well known with its residents. Everybody knew about the quiet amnesiac and her overly thoughtful guardian. When we first moved to the quiet city, it was difficult going outside without having someone offer us food, clothes, or money. Though as the days rolled on, people started to back off realizing their kindness was only a hindrance to us.

Nobody dared to approach me when I was on my own in fear of the Church bearing down upon them, Amuro and his troop might've been the only ones stupid enough to bother me.

"Are you really always this uptight?" Signum's mellow tone snapped me out of my thoughts. She cocked her head to the right with her chin slightly raised. The Knight looked down at me with an haughty smile as she asked me again, "Well are you?"

"That's really none of your business," I replied giving her the cold shoulder.

"You're shorter than I remember," I heard Signum mutter. I spun around and glared at her with a nasty scowl.

"Stop talking like you know me when you don't!" My anger quickly bubbled over forcing my voice to rise higher than I anticipated. Onlookers began to crowd around us curious about the ruckus. "If you know something just tell me!"

"Classified information," she smirked.

"You're infuriating you know!"

"Fufu," Signum covered her mouth and laughed quietly enjoying my temper tantrum. "I see that phrase has carried on as well."

"At least tell me what you have to tell Carim-san."

"Classified information," came her speedy reply.

I decided it was time to just stop the conversation all together. The longer I spent talking to that madwoman the more likely I'd lose control of myself again. I've done well so far in controlling my powers, but I still lacked the confidence to put any application to it. Shocking the daylights out of Signum was an entertaining thought though.

"Testarossa," Signum's quiet voice broke the silence between us. It irked me to no end when she referred to me with such a strange name.

"What?"

"Look over there."

I turned around and saw the stoic Knight pointing towards a café. The building was short and inconspicuous with a rustic design most likely inspired by South Mid-Childa infrastructure. It was built up with vibrant maroon bricks up until the tiled roof which jutted outwards with a slight slant. The top of the roof held a large white teacup sitting on top of a saucer. The cup had 'Marta Café' scribbled on signifying the name.

Two large windows were situated on both sides of the store, and the main entrance housed another, much smaller, window with the welcome sign hanging behind it. Flourishing flower beds resided beneath the two windows respectfully framing the building. They were indigenous to the South, so I suspected they were difficult to maintain. A thin chrome sign hanging off a thick, well anchored black pole on the face of the building spelled out, on both sides, 'Marta Café' in black with fancy calligraphy matching the name on the roof.

Beside the café was the patio which was fenced off lot with bright green grass. A quiant number of customers sat in tables of four beneath large white parasols. They all seemed to be having a good time enjoying the warm weather.

East Mid-Childa cafés weren't very popular here in Diam since there were so many of them. You couldn't cross a street without seeing at least one or two. But this café seemed to be doing alright, maybe it was the strange all over the place design or maybe it was the pretty blonde haired waitress that just walked out, I didn't really know.

At first I thought Signum just wanted a cup of coffee, we had been walking for quite some time, but as I squinted my eyes to get a better look what she saw I quickly found myself red faced and embarrassed. Words could not describe the horror I saw, but this moment was still bloody hilarious.

"Should we inform the shop keeper his window as a 'crack'?" Somehow she managed to keep a straight face as she spoke.

"…"

Sitting against the large window situated on the left face of the building was a woman of great magnitude. She used the back of the chair as an arm rest as she stretched her arm out on the table. The customer perpendicular on the seat with her back firmly pressed against the window.

"Where's Hayate when you need her?" the Grand Champion chuckled. "This is the type of thing she lives for!"

"Oh dear God," I wrapped my arms around my stomach lurched forward in disgust. I hung my head low using my bangs to hide my burning eyes the atrocity before us. "When will people learn how pants work? Just because it zips up doesn't mean it fits!"

"Ahaha, yet another one of Hayate-sama's words of wisdom."

"Can we please leave before I loose my breakfast?"

"Lead on Testarossa, but before we do," I placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, "Be honest with me and say you found that amusing."

"I found it both disturbing and hilarious, are you happy?"

"Yes."

Signum quietly followed me to our destination without making any comments. It was a lonely walk, but I rather enjoyed the serene expression she had on her face as she took in the scenery. Eventually we reached a tiny store near the park I initially ran away from that sold little knickknacks and various souvenirs. I didn't have any money with me but that was alright, the shop owner said he'd give me something in return for a favour I did for him a couple days ago. Carim wasn't materialistic and preferred homemade gifts, but I wasn't very good with my hands when it came to arts and crafts, I was downright atrocious to be honest. School work and athletics were more my forte, but I doubt she'd want my homework or an all out race as a birthday present.

"Welcome," the bespectacled shop keeper said with a gentle smile on his elderly face. "Oh Fate-san, it's you and you've brought a quest! Welcome, welcome come inside."

"Mn…" Signum took a loud whiff of the store and sneezed, I guess it was a little bit dusty.

"Good morning Mr. Burgh," I waved to the kind man and wandered around the store.

"Good morning to you as well, Fate-san." The shop keeper bowed his head; this was a well known East Mid-Childan sign of respect. "It's rare to see the young lady here walk around with anyone other than Knight Carim, I'm going to assume you're from the Saint Church as well?"

Even though I spoke with a East Mid-Childa accent, I had never been there. I merely picked it up from my time with Carim and Hayate. A faker like me didn't deserve such a greeting; curiously I turned my head and noticed Signum bow down.

"Indeed, I am."

"You're new around these parts then, I know all the Knights positioned in his city."

Signum nodded her head, "I'm only here as a messenger, after that I'll be leaving once more."

"Ah, well I'm glad Fate-san managed to make a new friend," Mr. Burgh brushed some dust off of the counter and crossed his arms behind his back.

"It's good to see an Easterner in quiet little Diam, I was beginning to think I was the only one." the Knight rose up and smiled. "Which city do you hail from?"

"Ryuugosen City," Mr. Burgh replied with flawless pronunciation. "I look like a foreigner though due to my parentage, but I was born and raised in the East."

"Aa, I'm vaguely familiar with that area. I travelled there for a bit during a mission, I didn't get to see much though." Signum replied, a thoughtful expression crossed her face as she looked back at me. "It's a beautiful city with many flowers as I recall. I brought a couple packets of seeds back to some family back in Academy City."

"I haven't been there personally; the idea of all that technology scares me. All that hustle and bustle just makes it hard for me to relax. But what can you do when your country is governed by the Goddess Wisdom? Where that woman goes technology sprouts like spring flowers."

"So I assume you prefer Lady Olivie's rule? She is a child of nature and would never turn her back against it."

"I agree I enjoy her peaceful little cities and villages. Flowers are everywhere instead of skyscrapers and endless steel."

"The Goddess Wisdom still loves nature though," Signum interjected with a mild frown. "Academy city is the only place in the world with that much Technology, everywhere else in East Mid-Childa has a very moderate advancement and she even protects quite a few villages and cities that do not rely on her scientific advances."

"Technology just draws in the military. I know they have good intentions, but their methods are a little extreme." Scratching the back of his head bashfully, Mr. Burgh said, "I apologize, but I didn't catch your name."

"In the end I can understand the feeling. A lot of the TSAB's military forces station themselves there because life is so much easier, soldiers are all over the place and they feel like they own the place. Normal citizens have no choice but to abide by their authoritarian rule. As a Knight who has ascended from all that bureaucratic hubbub, I'd rather not see another Military bigwig.

The Goddess never intended for this to happen, but it just slowly did and now she's all but abandoned the place and gave it to those Military dogs."

The serious expression on Signum's face told me not to interrupt. Everything she and the shop keeper spoke about was a lesson I had learned from Carim quite a while during Hayate's last visit.

"Oh where are my manners, I got so wrapped up I apologize. Grand Champion Signum Gottschalk," The Knight bowed again. "It Is a pleasure."

"No, no the pleasures all mine!"

"May I ask for your name?" Signum asked politely.

"Saul Burgh," he replied with yet another bow. These two were starting to remind me of the ducks in the local pond who'd dip their heads into the water fishing for food. Was all the bowing really necessary?

_'I just want my present for Carim-san…'_ I sighed out in frustration, but the two adults paid no mind.

I watched the scene play out quietly. Mr. Burgh seemed knowledgeable about life in East Mid-Childa and Signum actually looked interested in the conversation. Upon closer inspection of the Knight I saw mild similarities to Carim's sweetheart. They shared the same eye color and their eyes held the same shape, but Signum's were slanted which made her look mature and wise, while Hayate's were wide and bright. But when they both got serious their expressions matched perfectly. That was it for their similarities though; the two women were about as opposite as night and day.

_'Could they be related?'_

"If I remember correctly the Gottschalk family has strong ties with the Goddess Wisdom herself." The shop keeper adjusted his glasses. "I guess I'm speaking to royalty."

"Eh?" Losing my balance from the revelation, I fell to my knees but quickly got back up. I guess this explains how she managed to attain such a high ranking. A sudden weight crashed down upon my shoulders. This whole time I had been disrespecting someone of such noble heritage who probably answered to the Goddesses directly.

"Are you okay, Testarossa?"

"Y-Yea…" I grumbled after I managed to stabilize myself from the shock. "Just fine."

Mr. Burgh walked out from behind the counter and stood beside me; he patted my head and ruffled my hair playfully.

"Mmm," I grumbled squirming unhappily. I disliked it when people touched me, but I knew the man had no ill intentions.

"Let's get down to business. You're here for Knight Carim's present correct?" he asked with his hand still on my head.

I pulled away from him and distanced myself from the two adults. Signum followed in example and wandered off in a different direction leaving the bespectacled man standing on his own.

"I am," I nodded my head and poked around a shelf I could quite reach. "I was thinking maybe a mug; Carim-san drinks a lot of coffee."

"A mug would be great," the shop owner commented. He looked around the store, said 'ah-ha!' and shuffled off to a tall shelf filled with his pricier merchandise. I walked over to him and strained myself to look up, but I couldn't see anything. "How about this one here?" He pulled down a mug and presented it to me. "I think she'd really like this one."

"Pfft!" I quickly turned around and saw the silent Knight behind us covering her mouth with a faint blush on her face. She hid her face and continued her stifled laughter muttering a few illegible words every now and then.

Shaking my head with a silent laugh, I turned back to the shop keeper and accepted the item to inspect it further. To be frank I liked it a lot. The mug was a cute shade of baby blue with four indigo horizontal strips running along its body. In the dead center of the cup was a cartoonish racoon dog wearing a bright green leaf on its head, it was bubbled out giving it a three dimensional effect. After approving of the mug's overall design, I peered inside and took note of its depth. I estimated its full capacity at about six or seven ounces at best, a decent sized mug if I do say so myself.

"So Ms. Fate, how about it? It's the last one I have in stock, too." Well that explains why Mr. Burgh offered this one first what a clever man, I smirked at this revelation and handed it back. "Knight Carim seems to be the kind of lady who loves cute things. No matter how accomplished or refined she is, Knight Carim is still a teenage girl."

"Oh you have no idea," Signum snickered snidely.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I questioned the Knight with an exasperated sigh. I rubbed my temple and grumbled to myself incoherently; maybe agreeing to take this woman to see my guardian was a bad idea after all.

The shopkeeper ho-ho'd with an all knowing glint in his eyes, the gesture didn't go unnoticed and Signum turned her attention to him.

"Something amuse you?" she asked with feigned interest.

"You and Knight Carim must get along well for you to make a comment like that," he answered dutifully. The smile on his face was kind and understanding, no malice laced his words. "She's a quiet young girl who works hard for the community; it's nice to know she has such a kind friend."

"She and I bicker quite a lot, I doubt that counts for friendship."

"The more you fight the more you care," Mr. Burgh lifted up the cup and handed it towards the pink haired Knight. "What do you think?"

A calm look of surprise slowly took over Signum's stoic face. "This mug," she brushed her thumb over the racoon dog, "Is perfect."

I noted a hint of sarcasm in her short words but decided against voicing out my concerns. Something about Signum's tone frightened me; it wasn't the life threatening kind but the 'Hayate-san' kind.

"That scruffy wolf is going to howl out in laughter the moment she sees this." A low chuckle rumbled through the Grand Champion's throat, she shook her head and handed the cup back before wandering off to a different section of the store.

Mr. Burgh and I watched on curiously as the Knight stood near the door facing the counter with her arms crossed below her chest.

"So I guess this mug is a winner?" the kind man waited for my response. I gave him a court nod and he sprang towards the till. He pulled out a box, some sparkling blue wrapping paper, white decorative tissues and a smooth red ribbon. "Is the paper and ribbon alright or would you like something different?"

"No," I shook my head, "They're fine."

It didn't take him all that long to wrap the mug up and hand it off to me. The box he gave me was much smaller than I expected. I tapped it on the side and was startled to see some glitter had stuck to my palm and finger tips. Mesmerized by the light they gave off, I stood there quietly tilting my hand left and right.

"Wow…"

"You still like staring at shiny objects," Signum's kind smile caused me to blush heavily. "I'm glad you're still the Testarossa I remember."


	17. Arc 3: Chapter 3 part 3

**Railgun: **First of all I really want to say thank you to all the readers who take their time to read and review this story. It's those little messages that make this arduous story worth writing. If you enjoy reading this novel, please drop a review!

Thank you for all your support thus far. See you all in the next installment!

* * *

**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

**Arc 3: A Liar's World: Olivie and the Garden of Eden**

* * *

**III**

**Part 3 of 4**

The Vows We Take

* * *

"What exactly is that supposed to mean exactly?" I cradled the box protectively in my arms. Signum's smile widened as I hid it away from her eyesight. "Well?"

"Oh nothing," she said with a wave of her hand. Her nonchalant attitude was really starting to bug me. "Let's get going since you have your gift."

"R-Right…" I bid the shop keeper goodbye and followed the adult out the door. "Sorry for keeping you."

My words fell to deaf ears however, the Knight stood by the curb and looked around curiously; her eyes were narrowed dangerously with her arms crossed. I noticed her tapping her finger against her arm rapidly in annoyance.

"Anything wrong?" I asked.

Signum stood there quietly, my question seemingly ignored by the tall Knight. Her eyes eased up considerably as a small girl around my height, but still slightly taller, walked up to her. She wore a rose red dress with black frills lining various sections of it. There was a large off red bow tied on the back; the color matched the fabric striped across her shoulders. Yellow crosses were visible on her neck piece and her hat which was rather large in proportion to her head; I started to assume that she was of Belkan decent because of them. The girl had long bright, rosy hair tied down into twin braids that reached down past her back.

"Vita, a pleasant surprise, what are you doing here? I wasn't expecting an escort," the Knight said finally breaking the silence. "I thought you were stationed over in the main estate with Hayate and the others."

"The badger had a bad feeling about sending you off alone, so she told me to go with you." Vita had a surprisingly gruff voice for someone so young. She crossed her little arms and straightened her back to make herself look taller, but compared the gargantuan woman she stood by it looked nigh impossible.

I watched the two strangers talk animatedly and pondered about how they knew each other. They had very similar facial structures and shared the same eye color so they could be related, but it was tough to distinguish really.

The small girl's sharp eyes shifted towards me as she tilted her head in my direction. She looked back up at Signum with her head still tilted and asked, "Who's the scrawny runt? One of your new fangirls, I knew you popular but jeez, she's a little young don'tcha think?" Vita snorted and put her hands on her hips, "Never thought I'd see the day where the almighty Signum starts taking after the badger."

"Who are you calling a runt!?" I roared out furiously.

Signum threw her hands up in the arm and chuckled with a head shake. "This is Carim's charge, Fate."

She didn't seem to mind the pedophile joke; in fact she ignored it completely! Something is wrong with these people. Carim doesn't pay too much attention to them either whenever one of her co-workers poke fun at our close relationship. Maybe it has something to do with being from East Mid-Childa?

"Wait, Fate as in the brat who smashed her face into the marble pillar in the Church or is she some other redundant Fate?" came Vita's baffled rely.

"One and the same," Signum's smirk widened as the blush on my face grew. "She's leading me to the mongrel's apartment. I have a message from Mother to deliver."

"Eh?" Vita crossed her arms. "That's all you were told to do, then why'd I have to tag along? This coulda been done buy a courier pigeon… I'm giga-pissed!"

"Hayate's intuition hasn't lead us astray so far, so why doubt her now?"

"What about the time she sent all four of us out for a "crucial mission" of life and death which turned out to be nothing more than a fried chicken run?" A sour scowl adorned the small redhead's face as she dwelled on the matter. "Well whatever, I don't know about you, but my gut's tellin' me that Hayate only sent me because she wants to have someone check up on her little pet."

"That chicken was good though, you've got to admit that much at least." Signum chuckled heartily. "That time wasn't exactly something regarding her intuition; it was just her stomach telling her to boss us around."

"It was good chicken…"

"Anyhow, he knows better than anyone that Carim wouldn't do anything to cross her, so something else might've come up."

"That badger is as paranoid as they come," Vita said while she adjusted her hat to sit more comfortably on her head. "Well whatever, let's just deliver that message already. I wanna go home." Dangerous blue eyes darted towards me as a petite head jerked back in a 'come on' motion.

Hesitantly I walked forward and offered her my hand. East Mid-Childa greetings felt a little odd to me, so I went for the Western greeting on instinct.

"My name is Fate, nice to meet you."

"Still a generic name for a generic looking brat." Regardless of her hostile answer, Vita still took my hand and shook it. "Vita Gottschalk."

"There's nothing wrong with my name," I grumbled unhappily as I retracted my hand from the taller girl's painful grip.

Vita snorted, "I must've run into like five or ten Fates on my way here. Your name is as generic as they come."

"Don't go picking fights you cannot win, Vita." Signum's frigid voice rang out. She patted her companion on the head and jerked the hat around causing the small girl to fight back for it rather comically.

"Tch," the red head huffed and crossed her arms stubbornly. Signum returned the hat with a silent apology. "Whatever, let's just go okay!?"

"Gottschalk, hmm… wait, are you two related then?" my voice came out quieter than I expected. Signum and Vita looked to each other and nodded their heads. "If that's the case, if you don't mind me asking, there's been something on my mind for awhile now."

"Spit it out squirt."

"Um," I shifted my gaze between the two strangers and settled on Signum. "Are you also related to Hayate-san?"

Vita was the first one to speak up. "I wish I could say no, but heh… she's practically our mom with the way she babies us."

"Babies _you_," Signum cut in courtly.

"Whatever!

"Is there anything else on your mind, Testarossa?"

"How many more times do I have to say: "Let's just go!"?" Vita stomped her foot five times and maintained a low, menacing growl.

"So which way are we heading?" the pink haired Knight asked calmly. We both chose to ignore the fuming girl between us.

"We're a few blocks away," I shook my head at Vita and pointed off to the distance. "But Carim-san and I live in this direction."

"I can already picture Carim's face when she sees me at her doorstep," a low, soothing chuckle rumbled through Signum's throat as she marched on ahead of me. Both she and Vita seemed to be planning something involving my guardian, but honestly who could keep up with the mindset of anyone related to Hayate?

We walked in fair silence, minus Vita's incessant growling. She was starting to remind me of the Chihuahua that lived in a house close to the flower shop. It was tiny and yappy, always barking as if it had something to prove. Its owner had a much larger dog and the tiny little thing would always gnaw on its leg or attempted to herd it when the bruiser jogged around the yard. It was entertaining to watch the Chihuahua prance around the dog nearly five times its size.

Signum grew tired of the quiet nature of our journey and struck up a conversation, "How are things at the main estate?"

"Boring as fuck," Vita startled me with her harsh language. "Hayate had me do nothing paperwork for about a month then she forced me to observe the rookie training. Sorriest sack of recruits ever, I tell ya." She pulled her hat off of her head and dusted it to blow off some steam. I was beginning to piece together what kind of girl Vita was just by watching her. "One of 'em lit their teammate on fire then tried to blame it on the dummies, I had the retard removed off the premises immediately."

"Agito and I pulled a stunt like that with Testarossa a long time ago," Signum sent me a mysterious gaze as she spoke. "We accidentally lit her hair on fire during a training exercise. She was screaming bloody murder while running around with nearly five feet of hair ablaze. Hah, made my night so much better."

"Woulda loved to see that," Vita commented with a smirk.

"We tried it with Carim, too, but Hayate stopped us before we could touch a single hair on her perfect little head."

"How old was she when you attempted this?" the red head asked with genuine interest.

"Eh I think around nine or ten? So only a couple years ago."

"Damn, I was probably stationed over at North during that." Vita crossed her arms and huffed with a mild pout on her lips. "Why do I always miss the fun stuff!? While I'm off working you and Shamal are goofing off setting people on fire without me!"

"Come on now, Shamal and I don't goof off _all_ the time."

"The time you don't spend goofing off, you two spend in the bedroom."

"We do not! I take offense to that."

"Don't deny it! I've heard the noises," Vita snarled. "You sick fucks."

"Watch your language, Vita." This time around Signum sent the glares. "If Fate complains to Hayate, you're dead."

"Oh please don't mind me," I said sarcastically. "I've only been walking behind you two completely invisible this whole time. Pay no mind to me."

"Is she trying to be sarcastic?" Signum nodded. "How cute, did Carim teach you that?"

"Whatever you two are talking about has nothing to do with me, so why turn your attention otherwise? My only purpose is to lead Signum-san to my guardian and nothing more, so please don't drag me into anything."

"You have a lot of gull to talk to me the way you do," Vita walked up to me brushed her hand against my shoulder. "Do you speak to all Knights like this?"

"No, I speak respectfully to those who deserve it."

"How do you speak to Signum then?"

"At first I spoke to her like I speak to you, but she proved herself to be a person worthy of respect."

"What about me then?" I watched Vita's hand clench into a tightly balled fist.

"You're a brash person with a potty mouth worthy of a sailor. You're short tempered and easily flustered; you also have an inferiority complex rivalling the size of a East Mid-Childa skyscraper." I shifted Carim's present from my left hand to my right and shook off the excess glitter that had attached to my palm and dress. "You're also a lot older than you appear."

"Hm, you've got me pretty pegged there kid. I'm giga-impressed."

"I warned you not to pick a fight you could not win, Vita." Signum reprimanded her relative while giving me a standing ovation. "This girl isn't your average child."

"Che, I knew that much." Vita smirked. "She's Testarossa after all."

"And I have no idea who that is!" I blanched. I was really starting to get sick and tired of hearing the name Testarossa—whoever he/she is.

"So you were aware I was a Knight this whole time?"

"No," I shook my head. "I only figured it out when you introduced yourself as a Gottschalk."

"Then you know about my family?"

"No," I shook my head again causing Signum to laugh. "I just recently learned of you from the shop keeper where I got this neat box."

"You really like that shiny box, huh?" the pink haired Knight strode over to me and ruffled my hair. I felt a few sparks go off when she pulled away. "Tch, I see you're still a walking lightning rod."

"I'm sorry; I don't really know how to control it…"

"Has Carim found you a teacher yet?" I shrugged my shoulders in silent contemplation. "I think I know someone who might be able to help you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but don't get your hopes up. The person I have in mind is really… oh what's the word?"

Vita burst out into laughter, "If you're talking about you know who, then the word you're looking for is: explosive!"

"There!" Signum snapped her fingers. "That's it: explosive."

"Ah don't worry, she'll probably say yes if we convince Hayate to ask on shorty's behalf here. Actually I'd be giga-psyched to see Biri-Biri's face when we bring up the subject."

"Biri-Biri?"

"It's a nickname we've given her; it's an East Mid-Childa onomatopoeia."

"I personally like to call her 'Sparky', but that's just me." Vita added after calming down a little.

"Huh," I cupped my chin and thought aloud, "So do you really think this person can teach me how to control my ability?"

"Like I said Testarossa, don't get your hopes up. She's turned down a lot of students, there's no guarantee you'll face a different… _fate_."

"You had to go there didn't you?" the red head let out a heavy sigh. "That joke was so bad on so many levels… both Hayate and Shamal would be disappointed in you if they heard that pathetic excuse of word play."

"What?" Signum crossed her arms in defence. "When you're related to the loser who started this silly trend you're allowed to make fun of it."

"Let that romanticist rest in peace will ya?" Vita sighed.

Grand Master Fate, Legendary Hero of Belka was the first person I thought of when the two Knights spoke of the trend setter.

The person everyone named their children after, Fate… um, I forgot their last name, or rather it was never specified in scripture, was the hero who stood against the White Devil during her siege on Belka. Near the end of the war, Fate stayed behind and distracted the devil while the allied forces retreated. It was there the hero met their untimely demise. At least that's what all the textbooks say, but I think there's more to the story then they let on.


	18. Arc 3: Chapter 3 part 4

**Railgun**: Look we've plot!

* * *

**Alsatia: Records of Pandemonium**

The Polaris Project

**Arc 3: A Liar's World: Olivie and the Garden of Eden**

* * *

**III**

**Part 4 of 4**

The Vows We Take

* * *

I spent the rest of the walk thinking about my lessons. Signum and Vita continued their playful banter which stretched from heated political arguments to why potatoes are the king of all root vegetables. Listening to the two Knights was starting to give me a headache.

'_Which subject did I have most difficulty on in the last test?'_ I asked myself. _'Goddess bloodline was the highlight of the last test, but I understood most of that material. History was a little tricky though; my head was clouded by those strange dreams. I guess this is what I should restudy.'_

"You know I've always wanted to try smashing a recruit into a fine pulp."

Signum touched her forehead and sighed heavily, "That would be illegal and a gross abuse of your ranking."

"What!? You've gotta admit some of those smug bastards deserve it."

'_The further up the family tree the mage is the stronger their magic is, but this factor isn't always true. Sometimes a distant relative with little to no relation to the Goddess could become stronger than someone who is closer, but once again this is a rare oddity. There have been also been cases of people born without magic despite being fairly high up on the generation chart.'_

"Hey, pipsqueak," Vita called out rudely. "We almost there?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up at the short-tempered Knight. "Uh," looking around my surroundings and realized we were almost there. "Just a bit further up, it's that building up ahead."

"What a dump…"

Signum visibly stiffened when she laid eyes upon the rundown building I resided in. "I concur."

"How could the Church ditch you guys in a shithole like this? I wouldn't even keep my dirty laundry here." Vita uncrossed her arms and stomped towards me. "Did you guys complain about this, because this is outrageous."

"Well excuse me for being poor," I muttered dryly.

"You should complain," Vita insisted. "You should definitely complain."

I slapped my hand on my forehead and dragged it down to my chin before abruptly dropping it back to my side. "Can we just drop this and go inside? I don't like being outside for prolonged amounts of time."

"Ah, I agree. The sooner I pass along mother's message, the faster I can return to my post."

"Heh, you just wanna see Shamal again."

"Yes, is there a problem with that?" Signum replied defiantly. She gave the shorter Knight a challenging glare and smirked. "I'll take your silence as a 'no'. Come Testarossa, let us proceed."

Shaking my head I walked ahead of the dimwitted duo and opened the main door to the apartment complex. The two followed behind me closely and surveyed their surroundings; I could practically hear Vita's sarcastic voice echoing in the hallway despite not saying a word. Signum took this time to take off her cloak and fold it neatly.

"We're here," I said standing in front of my door. "Please wipe your feet before entering and try and keep the rude remarks down to a minimum." The final comment was directed towards the innocent looking Knight. "I mean it, please try and be polite!"

"Ah fine I got it, jeez!" Vita kicked the floor and left a skid mark.

Against my better judgement I let the two Knights in. Vita immediately rushed in to explore, but my quick reflexes caught her by the collar. The violent tug caused the red headed girl to fall and unleash a string of curses. I relinquished my hold on her and showed Signum to the living room leaving Vita behind. I looked at the beds and noticed they were empty.

"Carim-san, I'm home." I looked around the barren apartment for my guardian and frowned. "You have some guests here to see you."

"Do you think she went out?" Signum asked. I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders; it was rare for Carim to leave the apartment without telling me in advance.

_DOKAN!_

A loud crash resounded from the kitchen alerting both Signum and I. We turned around and saw Vita standing in front of the kitchen entrance with both hands on her hips and a devilish grin on her face. Rushing over to the area of commotion, I skidded to a halt when I saw Carim huddled in a corner with a look of sheer terror on her face.

The breakfast I made for Carim laid on the floor, cold and forgotten except for the bell pepper egg which sat comically on top of her head. Panicked sapphire eyes darted around in confusion while a delicate hand wrapped around a frying pan handle with a jittery grip. Carim pointed the object in front of her and clenched her teeth; she inched back as far as she could into the corner and stammered about incoherently. Carim's legs were spread apart and bent a little at the knees; her free arm clung to the counter top raising her a couple inches off the ground as if she were preparing to jump on top of it at a moment's notice.

She looked like a frightened school girl who just saw a mouse scurry passed her.

"_W-W-W-What a-a-a-are you t-t-t-two doing h-h-h-here!?_" the blonde Knight's voice was high pitched and irritating to the ears. She was speaking in the main East Mid-Childan language, her accent was slightly off and didn't match the dialect, but I guess that's what happens when you live in a foreign country that spoke with completely different phonetic alphabet.

This was not… this was definitely not one of Carim's cooler entrances.

"_I can see your panties,"_ Vita commented with a light chuckle, she too spoke in the foreign language.

"_Get out of my house!"_ my guardian shrieked. _"Get out! Get out the both of you!" _

"_Testarossa, calm down,"_ Signum's eyes widened by a small fraction as the frying pan came flying at her head, but with a simple tilt of her head she managed to avoid it. Unfortunately the wall behind her was now sporting a new fixture that would surely rile up the landlord's feathers. _"What on earth are you doing? Are you mad, woman!? That could've lopped my head off!"_

Drywall crumpled on the floor in a mass of assorted shards. The pan itself was imbedded deep within the wall, its main body barely visible. I assumed the worst and thought it went straight through to the other side, no pun intended.

I choose to ignore Signum's use 'Testarossa' to address Carim. I couldn't be bothered with the strange name anymore.

"_Like hell I will!"_ Carim breathed in and out in short puffs, her face was red and droplets of sweat cascaded down her cheeks.

"_Your aim's a little off, you really are sick."_

"_Signum, what are you doing here?"_ my guardian asked through gritted teeth.

"_Well gee, thanks for ignoring me Gracia."_ Vita huffed angrily. _"Real nice of you, what a giga-bitch."_

The smaller Knight stomped off to the dining table and pulled out a chair. She motioned for me to sit down beside her and said something about staying away from Signum until Carim calmed down or else the next object directed at the tall Knight might hit me instead. I followed the tiny Knight's command and pulled up a chair, I was tired from the walk anyways.

I played the gift box on top of the table and stared at it happily. The glitter lacing the neatly folded paper made me smile, it wasn't everyday that I got to see something so simple yet alluring. I couldn't wait till the ruckus settled down; giving Carim her birthday present was definitely going to be the highlight of my day.

"_I have a message from mother,"_ Signum explained as she shifted her weight from her left foot to her right. _"She said it was of dire importance that I report to you immediately."_

"_Tell me then leave."_

"_Could you stop cowering in the corner then? Vita and I are here on strictly business."_

"_I don't trust you… especially __**her**__."_ The disdain oozed out of Carim's words.

The red haired Knight uncrossed her arms flabbergasted. _"What did I do!?"_

A patch of blonde hair, along with the bell pepper egg, popped up from behind the counter as shy blue eyes peered over tentatively. _"You know what you did…"_

"_I rarely ever saw you, and if I did I probably didn't stay very long."_

"_Y-You stole my mashed potatoes back when I was a kid."_ Carim sunk back down. _"Every single time Hayate-sama would cook roast beef with corn and mashed potatoes, you'd always come over and steal my portion!"_

"_What is it with you and potatoes, Testarossa?"_ Signum let out a heavy sigh and walked towards the dining table. She propped herself onto the surface and shook her head in shame.

I watched curiously mildly entertained by this new side of Carim. Both Signum and Vita must have been around during her childhood from what I pulled out of their conversation. It was a little difficult following them, my linguistic skills weren't up to par.

"_Can't blame me for picking on the favourite,"_ Vita shrugged smugly.

My guardian poked her head up again and glared in our direction. _"There's also all the times you chased me around with Graf Eisen! You did more than pick on me, you straight out bullied me!"_

"_She was just jealous were you getting all of Hayate-sama's attention,"_ Signum said finally speaking up. _"You did hog a lot of her spare time, so the little baby here acted out."_

"_Shut up, titty-monster." _

"_Oh-ho, Vita I see the green eyed monster behind you." _

Getting bored of the childish adults in the room, I hopped off of my chair and trotted over to my guardian's side. She was pinned to the corner like a wild animal, her eyes staring off in all direction.

"I really don't think they're going to do anything," I told her in my calmest voice. "Speak with them then ask them to leave."

"_Don't be such a pussy, Gracia. I promise we won't do anything."_

"I do not like _her_," I seethed.

"Vita takes a little getting used to," Carim admitted with a hearty chuckle. She settled herself back onto the ground and slumped back. "Of all days why today?"

"There's no use trying to get out of work, right?"

"True…"

Vita grumbled unhappily like a spoiled child, _"ugh, this is getting kind of sappy…"_

"_Shoosh,"_ Signum hushed her companion.

I kneeled down in front of my guardian and pushed the egg off of her head and into my open hand. A heavy blush graced her beautiful face causing her to laugh in embarrassment.

"Sorry about the breakfast you made for me," her smile widened a little when I shook my head. "You worked hard on it and I ended up wasting it."

"It's okay; I can make it again when we have time."

"Now that won't do," she protested. Carim took the bell pepper egg from my hand and finished it in three bites. "Fate-chan's cooking is the best!"

Blood rushed to my cheeks the moment my gentle guardian showed me her best smile. My heart raced so fast I thought it would jump out of my ribcage.

"Off you go then," I returned her smile with a brief hug.

Carim nodded her head and flipped over the counter. She landed gracefully on her feet and motioned for the two Knights to follow her. Her face was neutral and dull, the unsettling mask I thought Carim discarded had returned.

"_Follow me to my office and let's get this over quick."_

Signum smirked and pushed herself off of the table; she flipped her hair and ran her hand through it like a comb. _"About time you got serious,"_ she said with a smirk. _"I was starting to think that all this time with a kid had made you soft."_

"Fate-chan has done wonders for my life," my Knight gave me a far-off look with a kind smile. "She keeps me reigned in."

"Let's hurry up then, I'm giga-homesick."

As they neared the study, Carim spun around on her heel and called out for me. "Can you make some tea, Fate-chan? I have a feeling we're going to be in here for a while, and I'm feeling rather parched."

"We only have green tea, is that okay?"

"Sounds good," the three Knights replied in unison.

"Ah, green tea, this is starting to remind me of home," Signum added quietly.

I waited till the door shut behind to begin making the tea. It was nerve-wracking having Carim alone with two people she didn't like, but what could I do? I manoeuvred around the kitchen with the skill and grace of a new born calf. My body refused to calm down, the more I willed myself to do so the jitters only intensified.

'_Making tea is going to be difficult if I don't calm down,'_ I thought to myself grimly. Glancing over to the shut door, my eyes lowered in guilt. _'Maybe if I listened in for just a bit I'd be able to finally relax.' _

No!

I can't do that! I can't invade Carim's privacy.

'_Get a grip of yourself, Fate. Just make the tea and get things over with.'_

I gave my head a vigorous shake and steeled my resolve. My hands slowly steadied themselves and eventually my actions returned to normal. I scoured the kitchen for the kettle and quickly found it in its usual spot. I turned on the tap and filled the basin with as much water as I could before it became too difficult to carry.

'I wonder what they're talking about.'

With little resistance from the kettle, I perched it on top of the stove element and cranked it to maximum. It wouldn't take very long to boil, five minutes at best, so with the spare time I had I pulled out the cups, saucers, and of course, the tea. Signum mentioned something about the tea reminding her of home; boy wouldn't she be surprised when she realizes this really is tea from home. Hayate sent these leaves from her farm; it was a high quality blend that the ditzy general recommended.

The whistle from the kettle blew loudly tearing me away from my thoughts. I turned off the stove and removed the kettle from the hot element; I removed the kettle lid and began pouring in the dried tea leaves. Hayate told me that I only needed about a tablespoon, but Carim liked her tea little stronger than most, so out of habit I put in a tad bit more. As the tea seeped, I nestled three tea cups onto their respective saucers and placed them on a tray I always kept nearby. Two or three minutes passed and I could smell the soothing aroma of the tea escape the kettle's spout.

"That should do it," I said to no one in particular. I brought the tray over to the kettle and placed it on the counter next to it. "Crud, I forgot the strainer!"

I smacked myself on the forehead and rushed back to the utensil drawer. I fished around for the elusive object and successfully pulled it out; it was wedged in between some wooden spoons and a spatula.

"Come on Fate, stop messing around."

With the strainer in hand, I began pouring. The kettle didn't come with a steel mesh built in, so whenever Carim and I made tea we always made use of the strainer. The tea leaves poured out of the spout in clumps that stuck to the strainer, I rotated the utensil whenever leaves obscured the mesh preventing the liquid from getting through. All three cups had relatively even amounts of tea in them and the kettle was still more than half full. I let the final drops of water seep out of the strainer before tossing it into the sink.

I held onto the tray with both hands and made my way carefully to the office. "Carim-san, the tea is ready."

"Thank you, Fate-chan," Carim's voice rang out. "Vita can you open the door for her?"

"Tch," I could hear the screech from Vita's chair as she pushed it back. The door opened soon after revealing a visibly peeved red head.

"Is everything alright?" I asked worriedly.

"E-Everything is fine, dear." Carim answered with a strained smile.

I handed Signum her cup first followed by Carim and lastly Vita who chugged the hot beverage. She put the empty cup on Carim's desk and mumbled a quiet thank you.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Carim shook her head, but the pink haired Knight shook her head and said, "There is actually."

"Hm?"

"How much of Carim's duties are you aware of, Testarossa?"

Shifting the tray between hands nervously, I replied quietly, "She runs the flower shop here in Diam, she's also in charge of my safety and education…"

"Mostly right," Vita huffed. "What else?"

"Well for a bit she was my fencing trainer, but mostly she's been like family to me."

"Do you know of her duties to Hayate?"

I rubbed the back of my head and blushed when I thought of all the things Hayate hinted at. "Um…"

"Fate-chan," Carim yelped. "Don't answer that one!"

"Fine fine," Signum ran a hand through her bangs, "Do you know what she does for the Church?"

"Paperwork? Carim-san told me she was a 'desk jockey' because of her injuries."

"Wow you really didn't tell the kid?" the disappointed frown gracing Vita's lips irked me. What right did she have that made it so she could look down on my guardian?

"Fate-chan doesn't need to know any of this, Signum. Just stop it."

"Then tell me, how exactly will you explain to her that you'll be leaving for a month?"

The tray fell to the ground with a loud clatter, I stared at my guardian wide-eyed and confused. I looked into her conflicted blue eyes in search of the answer, but she looked away and hung her head in shame.

"You're leaving?"

"Only for a month," she answered in a hoarse whisper.

"W-What about me, are you going to take me with you?" Carim shut her eyes and shook her head. "Then what am I going to do?"

"Since you're a special case, I can probably pull some strings and have you placed in a close friend's residence. But unfortunately I cannot take you with me," Carim folded her hands on top of her desk and looked up at me. "You'll be fine without me; a month is very long at all."

"But we've never been apart before!" I could feel the tears pricking the corners of my eyes. "Why can't I go with you?"

"Is she gunna cry? Cause that'll be giga-awkward."

"There's no what around it, Testarossa."

"B-But… what am I going to do without her?" I look at the strangers waiting for the answer, but they seemed to be as tight lipped as Carim.

The blonde haired Knight slammed her hands on her desk and leaned forward, pushing her chair into the book shelf behind her. She looked at me with tearful eyes and said, "I can't go. I can't leave Fate-chan."

"You know you can't say no to this," Vita crossed her arms and sighed.

"…"

"This is your duty to the crown Carim, you can't shirk it off like everything else."

"But it's so last minute, I'd have to make arrangements and—"

"Lindy already agreed to watch over your charge," Signum quickly cut Carim off. "Plus this is part of your agreement to keep your engagement to Hayate out of the Church's control."

My Knight ran a slender hand through her long golden mane and let out a rueful sigh. "If it's Lindy then I really wouldn't have anything to worry about, but Fate-chan doesn't get along well with people."

"Lindy lives out in the country side; the only people she'll be dealing with are the Harlaown children and the staff. She should be fine. Plus this is usually the time when Lindy's orchards are ready for harvesting; Fate will have plenty to do over there."

"…"

"But what about children her age?"

"I'm not too sure about that one," Signum said rubbing her chin. "Chrono is growing up and he's rarely home."

Vita perked up considerably and grinned, "I just came from Lindy's actually, picked up a couple apples for the road. There's one kid around the brat's age, Lindy just took her in recently she's giga-awesome. I think her name was… uhh, Na-No-Nantoka? I don't know, I can't remember."

"She must be something to have you sing her praises."

"Tch," Vita's mood soured once more.

"C-Carim-san?" I didn't know what else to say. I knew inviting those two Knights into my home was a bad idea, why didn't I listen to myself when I still had the chance to?

"You two are set to leave for East Mid-Childa in three days via train. Your temporary guardian, Lindy Harlaown, shall meet you at the train station. Carim will tell you which stop you get off at, but she will not accompany you. Carim will brief you on the smaller details, but uh…" Vita shifted around in her seat awkwardly while she waited for the right words to form in her head. "Dress for spring weather, Uminari's weather at the moment is pretty nice. You'll like it."

"At least tell me why you're taking Carim-san away from me."

"The Goddess Wisdom summoned me for a… meeting." The hesitation in Carim's words didn't go unnoticed. It was the same sort of pause that occurred when she and Hayate needed some privacy, but I doubt that's what she meant.

"A meeting? That's how you're going to leave it as?" a cynical laughter rumbled through Vita's throat as she shook her head. "You should just go ahead and be honest with the brat; she's old enough to understand."

"Vita, this doesn't concern her."

"Of course it concerns her! What are you gunna do when you go get her a month later pukin' out everything you eat for the next nine months? Like hell it doesn't concern her, she'll be putting up with you during _all_ that. It's gunna be giga-nasty, I'll tell you that much."

"Vita…" both Signum and Carim glared at the miniature Knight. She immediately ceased speaking and hopped off of her chair. She grabbed the cup and stormed out of the room mumbling a stream of profanities on her way.

"I-I don't understand…"

"Knights aren't allowed to be in any romantic or physical relationships. A Knight is essentially married to the Church and its queen the Sankt Kaiser. We belong to the crown and are loyal only to the crown," Signum explained. "But Carim here was chosen by our sister, Hayate, and is betrothed to her. This engagement goes against the rules, but a long time ago Carim made a deal with our mother to protect her relationship."

"I can take it from here Signum," Carim thanked the older Knight and asked her to leave. Signum did so without question and closed the door behind her giving my guardian and me some privacy.

"This is a lot to take in," I mumbled quietly. I took the seat Vita was in and kept my gaze away from my troubled Knight.

"Signum and Vita are members of the Wolkenritter, you know about them right?"

"Yeah, I do…"

"Then you know their relation to the Goddess Wisdom, correct?" I nodded my head weakly. "What Signum said is all true. The only reason why I can be with Hayate-sama is because of the pact I made with the Goddess, I can't say no to this summon."

"What was the deal?" even without Carim's answer I already knew.

"I agreed to be one of the Goddess' consorts," Carim replied with a voice so quiet I could barely hear. "B-But there's more to it than that! I'm more of a companion really."

"And Hayate-san is alright with this?"

"She doesn't enjoy the agreement, but being together is more important. The Goddess has kept her word and protects our relationship"

"But if Signum-san is Hayate-san's sister, wouldn't that make the Goddess Wisdom Hayate-san's… mother?"

"Yes, but only the Wolkenritter are considered family to both Goddesses. Hayate-sama is considered as someone closely related to the Goddess Wisdom and that is all."

"This is still really hard to understand…"

"Tell me about it, this is the first time I've ever been called upon since my accident…" Carim interlaced her fingers and rested her chin upon them; a ghost of a smile graced her lips as she giggled at the awkward situation. "I'm a nervous wreck right now, I don't know how the Goddess can embrace somebody like me, but I guess we'll find out soon enough."

"You'll only be gone a month right?"

"Signum says a month, but the last time I was called upon the visit lasted three months. I wouldn't hold my breath for a solid date. I leave when the Goddess is bored of me."

"…"

"You're taking this pretty well," Carim chuckled awkwardly.

"I don't really know if I can properly voice out my opinion without offending you."

"Understandable…"

"But what is there for me to do? I can't force you to go against your duty, so all I can do is wish you a safe trip and hope you can come home soon."

"I don't want to go either; I don't want to be separated from you."

"I don't either, but it can't be that bad can it?" I shrugged my shoulders. "Vita said I'd like Uminari, maybe this'll be my chance to make friends. The kids here in Diam are all pompous jerks."

"Amuro-kun?" I nodded my head. "I swear I'm going to pop that kid's head like a zit one of these days…"

"Please don't resort to murder on my behalf."

"No promises."


End file.
